Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged the Uttar Pradesh government to announce a relief package for Lucknow’s ‘chikankari’ industry. In a tweet shared today, Priyanka said that the industry has been badly hit by lockdown necessitated due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Priyanka said that the small and medium industry had earlier suffered due to demonetisation and GST and now the lockdown has hit them hard.
“Lucknow’s chikan industry has brought laurels to UP in India and abroad. This industry which is already reeling due to demonetisation and GST has suffered badly due to the lockdown,” she said.
“Uttar Pradesh government should immediately declare a relief package for the chikan industry and all other such small and medium industries and announce help to the labour working in them,” Priyanka said and attached a report highlighting the adverse impact of the lockdown on the ‘chikankari’ industry.
The chikankari industry is a traditional craft of Lucknow. According to reports, the industry has suffered a loss of Rs 2,000 crore due to the lockdown.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has written several letters to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, suggesting ways to provide relief to poor who are hit badly due to the sweeping lockdown. Earlier, she had thanked Adityanath for giving free ration to the MGNREGA workers and suggested her to set up of a task force for economic revival in the state. She had noted that the coronavirus pandemic has brought an economic destruction and cast its shadow on small scale industries, she said it is the time to focus on helping the people and providing them relief to reduce their sufferings.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,449 in Uttar Pradesh and the death toll reached 21. According to the Union Health Ministry data,the death toll due to the deadly virus rose to 681 and the number of cases to 21,393 in the country on Thursday. While the number of active cases stood at 16,454, 4,257 have been cured and discharged.