The state government’s plea to seek a financial package from the Centre to enable it to give higher support price for cotton cultivating farmers has been turned down.
The state government’s plea to seek a financial package from the Centre to enable it to give higher support price for cotton cultivating farmers has been turned down. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who has promised to provide “some” relief to the cotton growers will now have to make provisions from the state budget to keep his promise in the winter session that commences in Nagpur on December 12.
Highly placed sources in Mantralaya told DNA, “ A senior officer who had pursued the issue with Centre was informed that the state happens to be the only one seeking higher cotton price. The Centre’s Rs 3,300 per quintal for cotton is acceptable to all other cotton cultivating states. In almost eight states where cotton is the main crop, the state governments have already implemented the price suggested by the Centre.” Moreover, the eight states are unwilling for higher rates to the farmers, thus defeating Maharashtra case at the Centre.
Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who also indicated recently that demand for higher cotton price has come only from Maharashtra, said that when a similar situation arose during his tenure as chief minister, the state government made provisions through the state budget.
In case of Maharashtra alone, cotton is grown across 30-35 lakh hectares of land mainly in Vidarbha, north Maharashtra and parts of Marathwada. Ahead of the winter session, where the opposition and a section of the ruling Congress and NCP have decided to take up the cotton farm issue as the main agenda, the state will have to provide some relief.
Top Mantralaya officials are trying to find a way out. If the government is to concede to the demand of raising the cotton price to Rs6,000 per quintal, it will have to set aside Rs4,000 crore.
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