Varanasi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav have accused the Uttar Pradesh government of ignoring weavers’ demand for restoration of power subsidy for power looms run by the community in the state and not helping them tide over the difficulties faced during the lockdown. “Weavers from all over Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi are currently facing a terrible crisis. The government has neither heard them on the issue of electricity bills nor has it helped them to overcome the crisis that has arisen from the lockdown. Weavers, who illuminated UP’s name across the world through their skill and art, are forced to go on strike today. The government should listen to the demands of the weavers,” said Gandhi in a post on her Facebook account.

The UP government, in January this year, ended the flat electricity rate regime for handlooms and directed them to pay according to power consumption. In protest, weavers in Varanasi launched a fortnightly strike on September 1 by stopping power looms to demand restoration of the fixed power tariff arrangement. The strike call was given by Uttar Pradesh Bunkar Mahasabha and Varanasi based organization Biradarana Tanzim.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted to extend his support to the community, “Weavers are upset, but the government is unaware.” About 5 lakh weavers are engaged in the making of famous Banarasi sarees, stoles and other clothes in the city and they claim the government move was burning a hole in their pocket. A weaver said that it was impossible to pay heft electricity bills amounting to Rs 2,500 or Rs 3,000 with an average monthly earning of Rs 8,000 while meeting expenses of one’s family. The striking weavers’ groups have decided to suspend work between September 1 and 15. The effect of the strike was visible everywhere with powerlooms in all localities remaining closed. The community has decided to form a human chain and stage demonstrations from Friday.

Top members of the Tanzim, Maqbool Hasan and Ishrat Usmani said the stir would be intensified further if the government does not accept their demands. Weavers from across the state will collectively apply to get their electricity lines disconnected. Social worker and master weaver Mateen Kaifee said: “Under the flat rate scheme, Rs 145 each was fixed for every powerloom. But now weavers are made to pay per unit of consumed electricity every month. For example, if a powerloom consumes 300 units, the weaver will have to pay the bill for all 300 units.”

He added that in the new arrangement, on consumption of 120 units by a half to one horse power motor-operated powerloom, the weaver will get a monthly subsidy of Rs 350 and Rs 240 respectively. Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited director commerce, OP Dixit, confirmed that the metered electricity bill was launched in January following a government order.

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