HYDERABAD: The TDP legislators stalled the House proceedings on Wednesday demanding lifting of ban on cotton exports from the state.As soon as the House assembled on Wednesday morning, TDP MLAs rushed to the Speaker’s podium raising slogans protesting against the decision of the Centre to impose ban on cotton exports. They demanded that the ban on cotton exports be immediately lifted to save the cotton farmers from going bankrupt.Agriculture minister Kanna Lakshminarayana told the House that chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has already spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a letter is also being addressed to him on the issue.The TDP members moved an adjournment motion in this regard and the same was disallowed by the Speaker Nadendla Manohar along with three other adjournment motions given by the BJP, CPI and CPM.However, the TDP members insisted that the matter be discussed and stormed the podium stalling the proceedings of the House for about 15 minutes.Kanna Lakshminarayana pointed out that the Centre had imposed the ban after 95 lakh bales of cotton was exported. Now only 20 lakh bales of cotton is left with the farmers, he said.The minister said the chief minister had spoken to the Prime Minister urging him to lift the ban and permit export of the remaining 20 lakh bales of cotton.Meanwhile TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revoke the ban on cotton exports. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Naidu wanted him to direct the Cotton Corporation of India to procure cotton immediately and come to the rescue of the farmers, who are in distress.It was distressing to see the plight of cotton growers in the state who were initially affected by drought and now with the Centre’s move to ban cotton exports forcing the farmers to resort to distress sales, the letter said.
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