Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called on the Union state Textile Minister Mr. Santosh Kumar Gangwar for seeking his personal intervention to direct the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to immediately enter in the market for the purchase of cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in a big way.The Chief Minister met Mr. Gangwar at his residence here this morning and the latter assured him that CCI would soon start the procurement operations of cotton at MSP in different markets across the state.Meanwhile, Mr. Gangwar directed the Chairman cum Managing Director of CCI Mr. BK Mishra to rush Chandigarh tomorrow to hold discussions with Additional Chief Secretary (Development) and the Managing Director Markfed to work out the modalities for the purchase of cotton to CCI without any further delay.
Responding to another vital issue for seeking relaxation in the norms for Cotton procurement in the wake of extensive damage to the cotton crop due to recent pest attack in the Malwa region of Punjab, the Union Minister asked Mr. Badal to send a comprehensive proposal to the Ministry so as to enable him to take a final call on this issue. He assured the Chief Minister that he would certainly get this proposal thoroughly examined from the CCI before allowing relaxation in the prescribed parameters/ norms for the purchase of cotton by it, in view of the prevailing weather conditions and there effects on the quality of cotton in the state. Conceding to another demand for opening skill development centre in textile sector in the state, Mr. Gangwar asked the Chief Minister to forward a detailed proposal in this regard. He assured Mr. Badal that the Textile Ministry was open to help the states inclined to develop Textile industry under the existing schemes.
The Chief Minister also urged Mr. Gangwar to initiate necessary steps expeditiously for the revival of sick unit of Dhariwal Woolen Textile Mills at Dhariwal in Gurdaspur district, which had been closed down for the past several years as this mill had a huge potential for employment generation in the border areas of the region. The Union Minister was receptive to all the issues raised by Mr. Badal and assured sympathetic consideration especially to help the farmers from the situation of acute economic distress on account of climatic abrasion.The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Mr. KJS Cheema.