PM announces sops for Varanasi weavers

The Government is working on a package to provide relief to weavers from Varanasi on account of huge electricity bills due against their name, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced on Friday. During a meeting with a delegation of weavers on his two-day visit to the city, the Prime Minister said the Government was aware of the problems faced by the weaving community and would announce relief measures soon. Manmohan Singh also told the delegation that about one lakh members of the weaving community in Varanasi would be covered under the weavers’ health insurance scheme. A large number of powerloom workers would be covered under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana that the Government would launch on April 1, he said. As announced in this year’s Budget, Varanasi figures in the six places chosen for infrastructure development under the mega cluster scheme. The Prime Minister said Rs 70 crore would be provided to the city under this scheme to improve the infrastructural facilities for weavers.