A three-member district-level committee constituted by the state government has failed to take any decision even though eight months have passed since the spate of suicides of weavers in the textile town began.

Rajanna-Sircilla: A three-member district-level committee, set up by the state government in the wake of the spate of suicides by weavers, is yet to take a decision on compensation to be paid to the family members of weavers who have taken their own lives. The three-member district-level committee, headed by the RDO, is the official body that decides on the authenticity of suicides and recommends the names of those to the government who should be compensated.

However, the committee has not taken any decision even after eight months of the weaver suicides in the textile city. Weavers as well as other workers who are completely dependent on the textile industry have lost their jobs due to lack of government mandates like gifts on Bathukamma, Christmas and Ramzan. Unable to support their families and pay off debts incurred for medical treatment and other expenses, the weavers have been forced to take the drastic step.

So far, in the last eight months, about ten weavers from the textile town of Sircilla have committed suicide due to lack of employment.

In response to the suicides, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles Tummala Nageswara Rao announced that an inquiry would be held into the suicides of weavers in Sircilla and appropriate measures would be taken to provide ex-gratia. However, an inquiry is yet to be initiated.

The district administration is following the usual procedure to finalise the names of weavers for government assistance. A three-member committee will decide on the authenticity of the weavers by going through all the reports, including the post-mortem report, final report, copy of the FIR and the panchanama report.

While the RDO will be the chairman of the committee, the deputy director of handlooms and textiles will be the convening member. The local DSP will also be a member of the committee. After receiving the reports of all the deceased weavers, the committee will sit and finalise the authenticity by going through all the reports. The committee did not convene its meeting as it received the final report from only one weaver.

Speaking to Telangana todayDeputy Director, Handlooms and Textiles, M. Sagar said that after receiving the final reports, including the post-mortem report, panchanama report and copies of the FIR, the committee will take a decision after examining all the facts. The names finalised by the committee will be sent to the government for compensation through the district collector, he informed.

Stating that it was the duty of the family members of the deceased weavers to submit the final report to the commission, the AD said they had received only one report so far. They were trying to get the final reports of all the deceased weavers as early as possible, he said.