Niranjan Reddy demands immediate opening of CCI cotton purchase centers in Telangana

BRS leader and former minister S Niranjan Reddy demanded that the support price given to cotton in Gujarat be extended to Telangana farmers as well.

Hyderabad: Raising concern over the fate of the cotton farmers in the State, BRS leader and former minister, S Niranjan Reddy on Wednesday demanded immediate opening of cotton purchase centers by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). Addressing a news conference at Telangana Bhavan, he demanded that the support price given to cotton in Gujarat be extended to Telangana farmers as well. He questioned why the CCI purchase centers have not yet been opened in the State.

Due to the rains, Telangana farmers are struggling to stock their cotton, and the State government has not set up CCI purchase centers, pushing farmers into the hands of middlemen. Farmers were forced to sell their cotton at Rs 5,500 per quintal. They are finding it difficult to get at least the support price of Rs 7,521.

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In contrast, Gujarat is purchasing cotton at Rs 8,257 per quintal. Niranjan Reddy questioned why Gujarat farmers receive more while Telangana farmers get only Rs 7,521. He demanded that the two central ministers from Telangana take action to ensure that the cotton price in Gujarat was extended to Telangana.

The former minister criticised the State government for not taking responsibility for the agricultural sector, which supports 2.5 crore people in the state. He pointed out that there is no sign of the Rythu Bandhu scheme so far , and farmers are not receiving the promised Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy.He also mentioned that restrictions are being imposed on the quality of paddy to deny the bonus.