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Ministry to seek extension for tech mission on cotton

Our Bureau

COIMBATORE, July 14

THE sub-committee in the Textile Ministry has sought to extend the tenure of the technology mission on cotton (TMC) for the entire period of the 10th Plan. The TMC completes its fixed five-year term in the first two years of the plan.

The sub-committee's proposals in this regard will be taken up at a meeting of the Ministry's main committee, scheduled for July 20.

Confirming this to Business Line, the Textile Commissioner, Mr B.C. Khatua, said the proposal would form part of the Ministry's 10th Plan proposals, to be forwarded to the Planning Commission.

The TMC was launched in February 2000 as a fixed five-year programme and as such, two years of its operation spill into the 10th Plan. Though the mission is deemed to have completed two (fiscal) years -- 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 -- it has, however, seen o nly one full financial year (2000-2001).

Sources attribute the move seeking extension for the TMC to the need for more time to allow the mission's objectives, in terms of cotton development programmes, percolate among the targeted sectors. These include R&D for cotton seed development, technolo gy transfer from lab to field, cotton marketing infrastructure development and enhancing the ginning and pressing industry's capability to deliver quality cotton.

Over the past one year, while it is believed that the TMC was able to make a `moderate' take-off in upgrading cotton marketing infrastructure and modernising ginning and pressing factories, the same cannot be said in the case of R&D for cotton seed devel opment, technology transfer and field extension works.

Lack of cohesion between the R&D labs handling cotton seed improvement programmes and various State agricultural Departments/Ministry of Agriculture is proving a stumbling block. Subsequently, the utilisation of funds meant for these areas also remained slow.

The scene is better in cotton market yard development and modernisation of ginneries. Against a target of 150 ginning and pressing factories for the three years ending 2002, the TMC has already offered fund assistance worth Rs 27 crore for 140 ginneries. It has also supported 51 cotton marketing yards across the country to improve their infrastructure.