Farmers refuse to ‘bale’ out CCI

Farmers refuse to ‘bale’ out CCI
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 10
Accusing the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and the government of adopting "anti-farmer" policies, activists of the farmers' unions lodged their protest at the DC office and then staged a dharna outside the CCI regional office located at Mall road, here today.
The protesting farmers blamed the CCI officials for delay in the MSP purchase of cotton. They said that after the protest by farmers, the government ordered the CCI to start the purchase at he MSP, but in the terms, the officials listed a number of conditions regarding the quality of the crop.
Addressing the gathering, leaders of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta) and Bharti Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan) alleged that the Central and the state governments were hand-in-glove with the traders and arhtiyas, due to which the government agencies did not buy the crop at the MSP, which had been fixed at Rs 2,800 per quintal. They said that in the absence of government support, they were forced to sell the crop even at Rs 2,500.
They added that after starting the MSP purchase, the farmers had been facing many discrepancies in the purchase. Even after the CCI started the purchase, farmers had been getting less than the MSP, citing moisture in the crop as the reason for it.
In the terms, it had been decided that after eight per cent, for every one per cent of moisture, one per cent of the fixed price would be deducted from the farmers. In addition to it, the condition relating to the length of the product (cotton) had also been fixed.
Submitting a memorandum to the Naib Tehsildar, they alleged that the officials and arhtiyas, had been looting the farmers due to which the MSP, which was meant to reach the farmers, was not going to them. They said that as per the terms, the 2.5 per cent commission of the arhtiyas should be paid by the CCI but here, the commission was being deducted from the income of the farmers.
Shingara Singh Mann, district president of the BKU Ekta (Ugrahan) and Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, general secretary, BKU (Ekta) lashed out at the functioning of the state and central governments.
When contacted, V.P. Nagpal, branch manager, CCI, said, "Earlier, we were making commercial purchase but as soon as it was decided that the CCI would buy at the MSP, we started correspondence with the ministry and from October 8, the CCI has been purchasing at the maximum support price. Just in two days, we have purchased 8000 bales of cotton."
About the allegation of commission deduction from the maximum support price, he said, "We have not received any such complaint, but it would be probed." Replying about other charges, he said all was being done under well defined rules.