Badal meets Textiles Minister, seeks early purchase of cotton

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called on Union Textiles Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar and requested him to direct Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to immediately start procurement of the cash crop.
Badal met Gangwar at the latter's residence here this morning. Gangwar assured Badal that CCI would soon start procurement of cotton at minimum support price (MSP) in markets across the state.
Gangwar directed CCI CMD B K Mishra to visit Chandigarh tomorrow to hold discussions with the state Additional Chief Secretary (Development) and the Managing Director of Markfed to work out the modalities for immediate purchase of cotton, according to a press statement issued by Punjab Government.

The chief minister also sought relaxation in norms for cotton procurement in the wake of extensive damage to the cash crop due to the recent pest attack in the Malwa region of Punjab, to which the Union minister sought a comprehensive proposal from the state.
Gangwar assured Badal that he would get the proposal examined from CCI before taking a call on relaxing the prescribed parameters/norms for the purchase of cotton, in view of the prevailing weather conditions and there effects on the quality of cotton.
On Punjab's demand for opening of skill development centre in the textile sector in the state, Gangwar asked the chief minister to forward a detailed proposal in this regard. He assured Badal that the Textile Ministry was open to help the states inclined to develop textile industry under the existing schemes.

The chief minister also urged Gangwar to initiate steps expeditiously for revival of sick unit of Dhariwal Woolen Textile Mills at Dhariwal in Gurdaspur district, which had been closed down for the past several years as this mill had a huge potential for employment generation in the border areas of the region.