'Wrong' policies of Congress regimes led to cotton mills' closure in MP: CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal, Sep 18 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday alleged that wrong policies of the Congress regimes caused heavy losses to farmers involved in cotton cultivation in the state.

Chief Minister Yadav said that due to the continued increase in the cost of cotton production and losses, many farmers stopped cotton cultivation, which subsequently resulted in the shutting down of one mill after another across the state.

"Wrong policies during the Congress regimes led to the closure of cotton mills. Lakhs of mill workers lost employment. Now, 'MP MITRA Park' being established in Dhar has come as a ray of hope to revive our cotton industry again," Chief Minister Yadav said in a statement.

He asserted that over six lakh farmers producing cotton in Ujjain, Indore, Gwalior, Ratlam, and several other districts will benefit once India's first Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park becomes operational.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of 'PM MITRA Park' during his visit to Dhar on Wednesday.

As soon as farmers get good returns on their production, other crop growers will also opt for it, he said.

"With this, Madhya Pradesh will become self-reliant in the cotton industry," CM Yadav said.

Several prominent Mills, prominently two in the Malwa region, Hukumchand Mill in Indore and Binod Mill in Ujjain, closed in 1991, leaving thousands of workers jobless and struggling for wages for decades.

Gwalior's famous J. C. Mills, which was established in 1921, where more than 16,000 labourers worked, was closed.

Several cases between Mills owners and workers are pending before the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The state government is also one of the parties in the case, as the land given to these Mills belongs to the government.

Notably, in November last year, Chief Minister Yadav said that the state government would approach the High Court to resolve all cases related to Mills. In fact, in some cases, the government has taken back its land.

--IANS

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