Harish accuses Centre of failing to alleviate plight of cotton farmers

Hyderabad: Minister of Irrigation, Marketing and Legislative Affairs T Harish Rao on Saturday accused a section of leaders of trying to mislead farmers in regard to the TRS government’s commitment towards cotton farmers.

In a press release, Harish Rao asserted that the State government was doing better than the Central government as far as cotton purchases were concerned despite lack of support from the Centre. He said Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya should try to obtain information first before criticising the government.

The Minister demanded that the Centre clarify why it had failed to hold to its promise of increasing minimum support price for cotton. Harish Rao said as per the election assurance of BJP, the minimum support price for cotton should have been now at Rs 6,000, but it was only Rs 4,050. The government had increase the support price just by 50 a quintal.

He blamed the Cotton Corporation of India for failing to purchase cotton from farmers. He said CCI Chairman D Mishra had ignored the State government’s invitation to attend a meeting to discuss the plight of the cotton farmers.

He recalled that he had addressed a letter to Union Minister of Textiles, urging him to increase the support to at least Rs 5,000 a quintal. He also said the State government had requested the CCI officials to be liberal and allow 12 per cent moisture content in cotton.