The TRS MPs urged the Central Government to come to the rescue of cotton farmers in Telangana. Members of Parliament B Vinod Kumar and A Sitaram Naik said the party MPs met Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and requested her to enhance the minimum support price (MSP) for cotton from Rs 4,050 to Rs 5,000.
They wanted the Central Government to set up more ginning and yarn mills and other cotton related industrial units in Warangal and Karimnagar where cotton is produced in huge quantities.
“The Telangana is third largest cotton producing State in the country after Maharashtra and Gujarat. In Telangana cotton is cultivated in 17.5 lakh hectares producing 65 lakh bales that accounts for 20 per cent total cotton production in India,” Mr Vinod Kumar said.
The TRS MP said he had requested the Union Minister to visit agricultural markets at Warangal and Karimnagar and interact with the cotton farmers.
More troubled period is ahead for the cotton farmers of Telangana as China which is the largest importing country would not be buying any cotton from India for next two years.
“In China there is a buffer stock of six crore bales and it will not be in a position to buy cotton from India. The Central Government should devise a mechanism like setting up more ginning and yarn mills to sustain the cotton farmers,” he said.
The TRS MPs also met the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and impressed upon him to ensure the need of strict implementation of Bifuration Bill and allocate civil servants without any further delay as the administration was paralysed in Telangana. Mr Vinod Kumar said still some officers and politicians of Andhra Pradesh were trying to create differences among people.
The people of both States were reconciled and were happy but some vested interests were trying to create trouble, he observed.
