After widespread protests by farmers in Gujarat as well as opposition parties across the state to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of cotton, two Gujarat ministers approached the Centre today to seek their intervention and resolve the issue.
Gujarat Agriculture Minister Babu Bokhiria and Road and Building Minister Nitin Patel met senior Union Agriculture Ministry officials as well as Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Nripendra Mishra in Delhi, Patel told PTI after the meetings.
Both the Ministers held detailed discussions about how to bring about an amicable solution to demands raised by Gujarat's farmers.
"During the meeting, we requested them to increase the minimum support price of cotton. In addition, we also asked to them give an incentive to farmers to export cotton," Patel said.
He claimed that the Centre has accepted their demand to increase cotton purchase centres of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) in Gujarat. However, there was no immediate assurance about increasing the MSP of cotton, Patel said.
"At present, the CCI buys cotton from farmers through its 60 centres in Gujarat, which according to farmers, is not enough. Thus, we have put forward our demand to increase the number of centres in Gujarat. They accepted our demand and agreed to open 60 more centres, taking the total number to 120 centres in Gujarat," he said.
"We made our representations about MSP. Based on that, the departments have begun their procedures. Though we have not been given any immediate assurance, the process has begun in that direction and we hope to see a solution soon," he said.
