Keep promise on cotton price hike, Kadiam urges Centre

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and a team of TRS MPs, including K Kavitha, Jithender Reddy and others, today urged the Centre to extend help to drought hit areas in Telangana State and also sought a hike in minimum support price for cotton in Telangana.

The team met Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh and Union Textiles Minister Santhosh Gangwar and officials concerned in Delhi for the purpose. They apprised the Union ministers of the grim situation of drought hit mandals and woes of cotton farmers in Telangana seeking an MSP of Rs 5000 per cotton.

Talking to mediapersons in Delhi later, Srihari said the NDA Government has to implement its manifesto promise to hike the MSP at Rs 5000 for cotton. “We urged the Union ministers to direct the officials to help cotton farmers by increasing MSP besides setting up cotton procurement centers in all market yards by the CCI. We also urged them to extend help to the drought hit mandals”, he said. The Union ministers promised to look into their demands. Radhamohan Singh said the issue would be referred it to a committee under Agriculture to look into the demand of MSP hike for cotton, Srihari added. (NSS)