Payment of Ex-Gratia to the Families of Suicidal Weavers

Description
Launched on 1st June 2004, the scheme "Payment of Ex-Gratia to the Families of Suicidal Weavers" by the Department of Handlooms & Textiles, Government of Andhra Pradesh, provides ex-gratia of ₹ 1,50,000/- provided to the family / next of kin of the weavers who commit suicide due to weaving-related economic distress, such as Indebtedness, lack of employment in weaving/processing, harassment by fellow villagers related to handlooms or delivery of finished cloth, failure in providing livelihood to family members leading to despair.

Benefits
• An ex-gratia payment of ₹ 1,00,000/- to the family/next of kin of the deceased weaver.
• Loan settlement up to a ceiling of ₹ 50,000/- to the creditors as a one-time settlement.
• The ex-gratia amount will be deposited in a joint bank account of the Assistant Director (H&T) of the concerned district and the legal heir, operated by the officer concerned.
• The loan settlement will be paid under proper acknowledgement to the entitled person(s) identified by the committee, with no further liabilities on the deceased family.
• Admission of children in Social Welfare schools and hostels.
• Allotment of houses under the Indira Awaas Yojana Scheme.
• Economic support under government schemes.
• Pensions and other social security measures.
• Future weaving operations and marketing of cloth produced by the family will be decided by the territorial officer of the Handlooms and Textiles Department and the District Magistrate Officer, Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative.
• A helpline will be operational at every Collectorate to provide counselling and support to weavers in distress.
• Preference will be given to such cases in extending benefits of ongoing government schemes related to weaving.

Eligibility Criteria
1. The benefits apply to families of weavers who committed suicide due to weaving-related economic distress, such as:
2. - Indebtedness.
3. - Lack of employment in weaving/processing.
4. - Harassment by fellow villagers related to handlooms or delivery of finished cloth.
5. - Failure to provide livelihood to family members, leading to despair.
6. The suicide must have occurred on or after 1st April 1997.
7. The family should not have received any relief or family assistance earlier.

Application Process
Step 1: The distressed family members of the deceased weaver must submit an application with full particulars to the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) having jurisdiction over the place of the deceased weaver.
The RDO will forward the application to the ve…
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The distressed family members of the deceased weaver must submit an application with full particulars to the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) having jurisdiction over the place of the deceased weaver.
The RDO will forward the application to the verification committee.
The committee will verify the case, establish the cause of the suicide, and work out the one-time settlement package.
Once the verification is complete, the ex-gratia amount and loan settlement will be processed.
The ex-gratia amount will be deposited in a joint bank account, and the loan settlement will be paid to the creditors.

Required Documents
• A committee comprising the R.D.O./Sub Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police, and Assistant Director (H&T) of the district will verify and certify the event of suicide. The committee will establish the correlation between weaving-related operations, economic distress, and social humiliation leading to suicide.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does the government plan to prevent future suicidal deaths among weavers?
A: The government plans to prevent such deaths by operating helplines, providing counseling, and offering economic support through ongoing government schemes.

Q: How does the government ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds under the special package?
A: Transparency is ensured through joint accounts, verification committees, and proper acknowledgment of loan settlements.

Q: What is the role of the District Medical Officer (DMO) in the rehabilitation process?
A: The DMO, along with the Handlooms and Textiles Department, decides on future weaving operations and marketing strategies for distressed families.

Q: How does the government address the issue of social humiliation faced by weavers?
A: The government addresses this by providing counseling, economic support, and rehabilitation measures to alleviate the distress caused by social humiliation.

Q: How does the government plan to provide economic support to distressed weaver families?
A: Economic support is provided through ex-gratia payments, loan settlements, and ongoing government schemes related to weaving.

Q: What is the role of community elders in the verification process?
A: Community elders are involved in the verification process to help establish the correlation between weaving-related distress and suicide.

Q: What is the significance of the one-time settlement in the special package?
A: The one-time settlement ensures that the deceased families are relieved of outstanding debts up to Rs. 50,000, with no further liabilities.

Q: What is the procedure for distressed families to apply for relief under the special package?
A: Distressed families can submit applications with full particulars to the Revenue Divisional Officer, who will take further action as per the prescribed procedure.

Q: How are the children of deceased weavers supported under the rehabilitation package?
A: Children are admitted to Social Welfare schools and hostels as part of the rehabilitation measures.

Q: What is the time frame for the application of the special package to weavers' suicides?
A: The benefits are applicable to weavers who committed suicide from 01.04.1997 onwards.

Q: Who can report the likelihood of suicidal acts by weavers to the authorities?
A: Any weaver, friend, relative, family member, or well-wisher can report such likelihood using the helpline.

Q: What preventive measures are suggested to avoid suicidal deaths among weavers?
A: A helpline is established at every Collectorate, and counseling is provided to distressed families to insulate them from money lenders' pressures.

Q: How are the outstanding liabilities of deceased weavers settled under the special package?
A: The outstanding liabilities are settled up to Rs. 50,000 as a one-time settlement, with no further liabilities on the deceased families.

Q: What measures are included in the rehabilitation package for distressed weaver families?
A: The rehabilitation package includes admission of children in Social Welfare schools, allotment of houses, economic support under government schemes, and pensions.

Q: How is the ex-gratia amount of Rs. 1.00 lakh deposited for the families of deceased weavers?
A: The amount is deposited in an authorized bank by opening a joint account of the Assistant Director (H&T) and the legal heir of the deceased weaver.