WARANGAL: After cotton farmers complained that they were not being offered Minimum Support Price by traders and Cotton Corporation of India, Warangal Urban administration has appointed two special officers to monitor procurement at Enumamula agriculture market and other procurement centres in the district.Revenue divisional officer K Venkat Reddy and assistant director, agriculture, S Krishna Reddy were appointed as special officers to monitor cotton procurement at six out of 17 centres in erstwhile Warangal district. For the convenience of farmers, district administration notified five ginning mills, apart from the agriculture market, as procurement centres.
The special officers would be visiting the centres daily to oversee purchases. They would also be supervising the purchases made by CCI. Meanwhile, Jangaon collector A Devasena has also started an initiative to procure cotton brought by farmers at centres in her district. She had appointed administrators for each procurement centre to monitor purchases on a daily basis and report to the JC.
The collector asked CCI officials to deposit the money they owe farmers in their respective accounts within 48 hours. The collector also cracked whip on unauthorised procurement centres run by private traders.Farmers are being offered prices between Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,500 per quintal in Enumamula and other procurement centres in erstwhile Warangal district. Traders are not offering MSP to farmers claiming cotton are damaged and has more moisture than permissible.
BJP criticises Harish Rao for blaming Centre for cotton farmers’ distress
Warangal: Taking exception to Marketing minister T Harish Rao blaming Centre for cotton farmers not getting remunerative prices for their produce, BJP official spokesperson A Rakesh Reddy said it was local administration’s duty to see that farmers get remunerative prices and it cannot blame the Centre for its failure. Speaking to media on Tuesday, Reddy said the state government was not taking steps to ensure remunerative prices to cotton farmers.
Cotton farmers stage dharna demanding CCI purchase cotton without conditions
Nalgonda: Hundreds of cotton farmers staged dharna on NH 65 on Tuesday demanding CCI purchase cotton without conditions on the humidity percentage. CCI opened purchase centre at Kaveri Ginning mill at Peddha kaparthy village. However, CCI organisers rejected farmers’ proposal and were purchasing cotton from last two days.