Maharashtra BJP draw Dr Kalam's attention on cotton growers problem

New Delhi, Dec 8 (UNI) A delegation of Maharashtra unit of the BJP today called on President A P J Abdul Kalam to draw his attention towards the plight of cotton growers in the state, especially in Vidarbha region where thousands of formers had committed suicide in the last two years.

The delegation led by Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari and State BJP Legislature Party leader Gopinath Munde accompanied by several party MPs said the relief package announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was totally inadequate to tide over the crisis. Over 600 farmers had committed suicides in the last five months after the package announcement.

The package, they said had helped the sick cooperatives run by Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress leaders by raising their liquidity rather than helping the farmers. The root cause lied in unremunerative prices offered to the cotton growers. The state government promised a price of Rs 2,700 per quintal of cotton before the elections in 2004 but had dismantled Monopoly Cotton Purchase Scheme after being voted to power and offered only Rs 1,900 per quintal to the farmers. The lowering of import duty on farmers had resulted in spurt in imports causing crash in market prices.

They urged the President to direct the government to increase MSP of Rs 3,000 a quintal for cotton and increase import duty on cotton to protect hapless farmers. The delegation demanded a waiver of one time settlement existing loans of cotton farmers and to provide loans at four per cent for the next five years.

The government should immediately release funds for completion of ongoing irrigation projects and provide help for waiver of loans and employment opportunities to family members of those farmers who had committed suicides.

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