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Hyderabad, November 5 (IANS) BJP MP in Adilabad G. Tension prevailed at Nagesh’s residence as BRS workers protested demanding the Center lift the ban on cotton procurement in the state.
Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leaders and workers protested in front of the Adilabad MP’s residence. The protesters tried to enter the house, due to which the situation became tense.
Police reached the spot and tried to control the situation. There was a clash between the police and the protesters.
Police later detained BRS leader and former minister Jogu Ramanna and other leaders.
BRS leaders were protesting against the ban on cotton procurement by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). CCI has set a limit of seven quintals per acre for the purchase of cotton from farmers.
BRS leaders sat on a dharna at the MP’s house demanding pressure on the Center to lift the ban.
Jogu Ramanna criticized the central government for imposing new conditions on cotton procurement. He criticized CCI for not allowing exemption for cotton with high moisture content as well as not limiting the total quantity to be procured.
Adilabad district, bordering Maharashtra, is known as a major cotton production centre, and farmers in the agricultural market yard of Adilabad city are protesting over the restrictions imposed by the CCI.
CCI has recently issued an order reducing the purchase limit from 13 quintals per acre to 7 quintals. This has caused concern among farmers, who have demanded that CCI lift all restrictions.
Farmers have also expressed dissatisfaction with existing restrictions on the allowable moisture content of cotton.
Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao wrote a letter to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh and CCI Managing Director Lalit Kumar Gupta, urging them to withdraw the new rules for cotton procurement.
Citing reports from district collectors, the minister indicated that the average yield of cotton in the state is about 11.74 quintals per acre. He wrote that if CCI reduces the purchase limit by seven quintals per acre, they will suffer huge losses.
The Agriculture Minister also urged CCI to procure cotton with moisture content up to 20 per cent to save further hardships to farmers who have already suffered huge losses due to heavy rains.
–IANS
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