The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has expressed concern that delays in opening cotton procurement centres may benefit the private sector and cause losses to farmers. During the hearing, the court orally observed that if procurement centres are started late, private traders may take advantage of the situation and purchase cotton from farmers at lower rates. Amicus Curiae Advocate Purushottam Patil submitted a detailed affidavit in ten parts explaining the current situation.

 

After hearing the matter, a division bench of Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Rajnish Vyas directed the Central Government and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to file their replies within three weeks. In the previous hearing, the High Court had orally commented that there is no need to set up procurement centres in areas where cotton has not been sown. However, in areas where cotton is grown and a procurement centre is required, it is the responsibility of the authorities to provide one on time.

 

On Tuesday, Advocate Patil highlighted the shortage of procurement centres in various districts of Vidarbha. Taking note of this information, the court instructed the concerned authorities to file an affidavit explaining the reasons for the delay and the steps being taken to open the centres. Petitioner Shriram Satpute had earlier informed the court that even after major festivals like Dussehra and Diwali, the required procurement centres have not been made operational. He argued that this delay forces farmers to depend on private traders, who may not offer fair prices for their produce. The court took serious note of this concern and sought a detailed response from the Government and CCI.

 

 

According to the information submitted to the court, there is a major gap between the number of existing centres and the number required in various districts. In Nagpur district, only 11 centres are functioning, while 73 are needed. Wardha has 11 centres against a requirement of 72, and Chandrapur has 10 against 63 needed. In Buldhana, 9 centres are operational though 43 are required, while Akola has 9 centres but needs 45. Washim has only 4 centres as against a requirement of 10. Amravati district currently has 14 centres, but 81 are needed. The highest shortage is in Yavatmal, where 18 centres are functioning, while the district requires as many as 165.