AMRAVATI, NOV 18: Congress-NCP alliance Government in the State must now announce cotton purchase price of Rs 2,500 per quintal under Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme, demanded the Samajwadi Party (SP).Making this demand in a statement, Janrao Dahale, state organising secretary of SP, said that Congress had demanded the same price during the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance reign in the State. Since the Democratic Front comprising the Congress and the NCP was voted to power in the State, the Congress should now raise purchase price, he said. Congress which showed its love for farmers in the past, should now come forward to fullfil the promise, Dahale said.Though the cotton purchase began recently under Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme at all Government approved cotton collection centres, the State administration has not declared the assured cotton purchase price till date, Dahale alleged. The Government should provide relief to the farmers facing financial crunch by making one-time payment of cotton bills, Dahale demanded.Meanwhile, the Truck Owners' Association has decided to fix loading-unloading charges for different cities depending on the basis of market trend on everyday basis. The decision was taken in view of the hike in the diesel prices, truck owners said.A resolution to this effect was passed at a meeting of truck owners, held, near Aasoriya petrol pump here recently. Other resolutions were also passed at the meeting. According to truck owners, truck operators had called a nation-wide strike to register their protest against diesel price hike. Although, the truck operators called off their strike after accepting the price hike, it is difficult to keep same the loading-unloading charges because of diesel price hike, they opined. The truck owners were constrained to take the aforesaid decision because of traders' refusal to pay higher transportation charges, they added.Most of the truck owners were of the opinion that the no-entry time, announced by the administration banning entry of trucks in the city between 8 am and 12 pm as well as between 4 pm and 9 pm, was not suitable.Vinchurkar, who was in the chair, said that the truck owner is compelled to incur losses besides wasting a day because of the newly-announced no-entry time. It was therefore demanded that no-entry time be changed to 10 am to 12 pm and 5 pm to 7 pm.Prominent among those who attended the meeting included Amir Khan Pathan, president of the Truck Owners Association, Pramod Tiwari, Gulabrao Sahu, Baburao Ingole, Ajay Sahu, Ranjitsingh Monga, Niyaz Ali, Dulichand Rai, Himmatbhai Thakkar, Rakesh Yadav, Satyanarayan Ratava, Santosh Rathi, Jamirbhai, Surjitsingh, Azambhai, Sheikh Roshanbhai, Rajiv Shroff, Abdulla Khan and Pannalal Gupta.
