The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Weaver dies of sun stroke at YSR’s meeting

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Monday, May 12, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Weaver dies of sun stroke at YSR’s meeting

Special Correspondent

Ex gratia of Rs. 1 lakh announced for family of the victim

Annaldas Das hails from Yellanki village in Nalgonda district
Congress MP Vithal Rao’s remark triggers protest

— Photo: Mohd Yousuf

Jarring note: Annaldas Das, a handloom worker who died of sun stroke at the 15th all-India conference of Padmashali Sangham, being shifted to a hospital in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: A public meeting of handloom weavers addressed by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy at the Exhibition Grounds here on Sunday was marred by the death of a weaver due to sunstroke.

Annaldas Das, 55, of Yellanki village of Ramannapet mandal in Nalgonda district, who died, was among the crowd that was seated under a huge shamiana before the arrival of the Chief Minister.

He was lifted into an ambulance as he collapsed but was declared dead immediately.

A sarpanch who shifted weavers of the village to the meeting lodged a complaint with the Begum Bazar police.

Dr. Reddy announced an exgratia of Rs. 1 lakh to the family of Das during his address later.

The meeting which was the valedictory of the 15th all-India conference of Padmashali Sangham also witnessed a wave of protest from the crowd when Congress Member of Parliament of Mahbubnagar D. Vithal Rao spoke.

His remark that the crisis in handloom sector originated during the rules of BJP-led NDA at the Centre and the Telugu Desam in the State sparked off jeer, apparently from supporters of the two parties.

In view of the election code in force, the Chief Minister refused to make any promise that would help bail out the handloom sector from the crisis it was steeped in but said he would constitute a committee after the polls, to look into the issues.

He explained in detail the steps taken by the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre and the Congress Government in the State to assist the sector.

They helped in the growth of the annual turnover of APCO from Rs. 36 crore to Rs. 158 crore.

Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader K. Yerran Naidu sought waiver of loans borrowed by weavers cooperative societies nationwide.

BJP State president B. Dattatreya wanted revamp of APCO while Medak Member of Parliament A. Narendra asked weavers to organise a major procession here to highlight their problems.

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