With the Centre banning export of cotton and the Gujarat Government opposing it, the issue of this cash crop on Tuesday took a new turn with the ginning mills threatening a two-day bandh from tomorrow and the opposition Congress Party also echoing the ruling BJP demand that the ban be lifted forthwith.
In the Saurashtra region, hub of cotton production, Mr Bharat Vala, President of Ginners Association, said on Tuesday that about 1,000 ginning mills will observe a two-day bandh from tomorrow to mark their protest against the Centre’s decision to ban cotton exports.
Meanwhile, Rajkot Marketing Yard President, Mr Hardevsinh Jadeja said buying and selling of cotton has been suspended as prices have fallen by nearly Rs 40 per ton after the Centre banned the export.
The Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, had, in a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, protested against the “anti-farmer” move. Mr Modi said a similar ban had caused a loss of Rs 14,000 crore to Gujarat cotton growers last year.
On Tuesday, even the Gujarat Congress urged the Centre to lift the ban on exports forthwith. In a statement, the main opposition party said a high-level delegation today left for New Delhi where it will meet Dr Manmohan Singh in this regard. It also demanded that the Gujarat Government should emulate Maharashtra where cotton growers have been provided with a Rs 2,000 crore package.