Rahul seeks loan waiver for weavers in Budget

Taking up weavers' cause, Rahul Gandhi today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with other Congress leaders and sought a loan waiver for handloom and powerloom weavers.

Taking up weavers' cause, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with other Congress leaders and sought a loan waiver for handloom and powerloom weavers.

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It is estimated that currently weavers' loans stand at Rs 3,400 crore.

"Rahuji met the Prime Minister and apprised him of the weavers' plight. The weavers, particularly in North India are in acute misery because of the increase in prices of cotton yarn and silk yarn," UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was also part of the Congress delegation, told reporters outside the Parliament.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, UP Congress leader Pramod Tiwari and other Congress leaders were also part of the delegation.

The delegation, led by Rahul, demanded that the loan waiver proposal be included in the 2011-12 budget.

About the response of the Prime Minister, Joshi said, "He assured us that he will consider the demand which he termed are genuine."

Credit card on the pattern of 'kisan credit card' which are given to farmers, regulation of cotton export, reduction in the cost of yarn and extending loans at a subsidised rate are some of other demands put forward by the Congress delegation.