Kashi weavers have high hopes from Modi visit
VARANASI: The about three lakh weavers of Kashi, 90% of whom are Muslims, are hopeful that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would order fulfilment of their long pending demands on Friday when he visits the holy city.
And when Modi inaugurates a Trade Facilitation Centre for weavers at Lalpur, which will cost of ` 50 crore, he would be reaching out to minority community weavers with the hope of getting them on his side. The Muslims, by and large, supported AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal against Modi in the last general elections.
Over the past several years, both union and state governments have made promises to the weavers but most of them just remained on papers. Atiq Ansari, a prominent weaver leader, wants fulfilment of long pending promises of waiver of electricity bills of power looms.
“Both the state and union governments had promised subsidy on electricity to power loom owners. But till date the weavers are yet to get such subsidy,” Ansari said.
Complaints of bogus societies of weavers and government offi- cials siphoning off the money are common in Modi’s constituency. Bunkar Vikas Manch, an organisation of weavers, has demanded a check on the fake societies.
Abdul Kadir Ansari, president of the manch, has demanded transfer of officials posted at Weavers’ Service Centre, a central government body in Varanasi.
“The officials deputed at the centre have become major cause of all the problems of weavers. They must be transferred to other districts,” Abdul Kadir said. Weaver leader Athar Jamal Lari too demanded immediate waiver of pending electricity dues of weavers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not going to miss date with the Ganga and its famed ghats during his visit to Varanasi.
Making last minute changes in his schedule, Modi has added paying visit to the Assi ghat to his itinerary on Saturday.
At this famous ghat, Modi is also expected to carry out a cleanliness drive and make an announcement for the ghats here.
For renovation of ghats of Kashi, the union tourism ministry has already announced a
18 crore project.