The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Telugu Desam alleges raw deal to cotton farmers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 03, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Desam alleges raw deal to cotton farmers

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 2. The Telugu Desam has asked the State Government to provide a subsidy of Rs. 500 per quintal besides ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 2,010 to cotton farmers on the lines of Maharashtra.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, TDP leaders -- K. Sivaprasada Rao and E. Dayakara Rao -- accused the Government of remaining indifferent to the plight of the farmers even though cotton prices had fallen steeply with traders and middlemen forming a cartel. The prices were now ranging between Rs.1400 and Rs.1600 per quintal and the farmers were not getting the MSP anywhere.

They alleged that cotton was being purchased from middlemen and not from growers at the 50 Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) outlets and criticised the administration for failing to monitor it. The charges for transporting the produce to ginning mills were also being collected from farmers at CCI centres though the Central Government had promised to reimburse the transport cost.

Demand for meet

The TDP leaders wanted the Government to convene a meeting of the CCI and Marketing Department officials and ensure that the farmers received MSP. Besides, they also demanded that cotton be purchased directly from farmers instead of middlemen and payment of Rs. 20,000 per acre as compensation for farmers who suffered crop loss.

They also urged the ruling party to fulfil its pre-election promise of setting up a Rs.500-crore market intervention fund.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh