Irrigation minister T Harish Rao has requested Union textiles secretary Sanjay Kumar Panda to open a third Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) centre with Hyderabad as headquarters in Telangana state.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi after meeting the official, Harish Rao said that the cotton production was high in Telangana this year. However, the CCI opened only 48 purchasing centres as against the assured 84 centres. Harish Rao also requested the Centre to increase the minimum support price for cotton to Rs 5,000 per qunital.
The minister also called on civil supplies secretary Vrinda Sarup and requested her to give subsidy for maize crop.
Later in the evening, Harish Rao called on Union water resources minister Uma Bharathi and requested her to release Rs 450 crore due to Telangana State under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP). Harish Rao also requested Uma Bharathi to approve the repair works of 300 minor irrigation tanks taken up under Mission Kakatiya and sanction Rs 500 crore for the same. Apart from this, Rao also sought forest and other clerances from the Central government for the irrigation projects.
Source: The New Indian Express