Cotton factory owners go on indefinite strike

Bathinda, Dec 28 (UNI) Punjab ginning and processing factory owners association today launched an indefinite strike opposing the one per cent cess on cotton, leaving hundreds of farmers out in the cold.

The decision of an indefinite strike was taken today in an emergency meeting of the association, presided over by State President Parkash Chand Bansal, as the government failed to heed their grievances.

Only Bathinda factory owners had received notices, the association claimed adding they had been unable to pay the cess as they had not collected it.

As the government agencies have been out of market due to rates fetching higher then MSP of Rs 1890 per quintal, its going to be a tough time for the farmers holding their crops for selling it to the private sector.

There were also chances that the farmers would be proceeding towards the neighbouring states for selling their crops leading to heavy loss to government exchequer as and to farmers and traders, the association leaders warned.

The state government imposed one per cent cess on cotton last year in the state and making it the only state to impose it in the country, claimed Bansal.

UNI XC JN LS RK2100