(a) the steps taken for creation of infrastructure for procurement, ginning billing and storing of cotton under the Cotton Technology Mission in Orissa; and
(b) the details of the steps have been taken or being taken by the COTFED for procurement of cotton from the farmers of KBK districts?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TEXTILES (SHRI BASANAGOUDA R. PATIL (YATNAL)
(a) Five market yards of Orissa, viz. Utkela, Gunupur, Karlapada, Jogimunda and Rayagada, have been taken up for development under Mini Mission III of the Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC). The infrastructure being developed in these market yards include pucca road, pucca platform, weigh bridge, fire fighting arrangements, grading laboratories, godowns, sheds, farmers` information centre etc. Under Mini Mission IV of the TMC, two ginning and pressing factories of Orissa have been covered for modernisation.
(b) The Cotton Corporation of India Ltd (CCI) has purchased kapas (seed cotton) equivalent to lint cotton of 5,595 bales (of 170 kg. each) in Orissa during the current cotton season 2002-03(October-September). Whenever the market price of kapas touch the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the Government, the CCI undertakes support price operations and purchases kapas offered to it without any quantitative limit. During the current cotton season 2002-03, kapas prices are ruling above the MSP in the country including Orissa.