New Delhi, 27 April 2012

Demanding a statement from the Government on the issue of unilateral ban on export of cotton, the members of BJP today staged a walkout in Rajya Sabha.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu said unilateral ban on cotton exports and the “ambiguity with regard to its lifting” has resulted in a sharp fall in cotton prices causing severe hardships to cotton growers.

“The ban was imposed on March 5 and lifted on March 12 but certain conditions were levied and as a result not even a tonne of export was done. Lakhs of bales are lying piled up in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat. Prices have come down to Rs 3,500 from Rs 6,000 (per quintal). Government should remove the ban unconditionally,” he said.

The situation has worsened to such an extent that “farmers are committing suicides and a farmer in Maharashtra, who committed suicide, left a note saying don’t vote for Congress and NCP,” Naidu said. His remark drew sharp reaction from Congress members, including Renuka Chowdhary, that culminated into acrimonious exchange of words between the treasury and Opposition benches.

Ground situation in Gujarat due to export ban

-Around 12 million bales of cotton are lying unused outside the marketing yards of Saurashtra, north and central Gujarat.
-Their quality deteriorating by the day in the hot sun.
-The cotton has no buyers, thanks to the Centre not allowing export of cotton.
-The Central government’s nodal agency – Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) – has stopped purchasing five days ago.

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