Nagpur: A group of cotton farmers from Maharashtra has moved the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court, alleging that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) sold thousands of cotton bales below the minimum sale price, causing financial losses to farmers as well as the public exchequer.The petition, argued by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar on Thursday, accuses the CCI of violating its own pricing norms while conducting e-auctions of cotton stocks across multiple centres.The HC issued notices to the Union Ministry of Textiles, the Central Vigilance Commission and the Maharashtra govt, directing them to file replies within four weeks. Deputy solicitor general of India Karthik Shukul represented the Centre.The petition was filed by Akola-based cotton grower Sangita Dendwe and several other farmers. As per the plea, the CCI sold more than 27,700 cotton bales through e-auctions at rates ranging between Rs50,000 and Rs51,800 per bale, despite internal circulars and govt guidelines reportedly fixing the minimum sale price at Rs54,000 per bale during the same period.The plea cited sales records from CCI centres in Akola, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Adilabad and Warangal, claiming that cotton of similar quality fetched between Rs66,000 and Rs67,600 per bale at some locations. The farmers alleged that the wide variation in pricing raised serious questions over transparency and accountability in the sale process.The petition also referred to complaints and reports concerning alleged irregularities in cotton procurement and sales operations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.The farmers argued that the CCI, which was established to safeguard cotton growers through minimum support mechanisms, acted contrary to its mandate by allowing sales below the prescribed support-linked rates.The plea contended that such actions adversely affected farmers’ livelihoods and violated their constitutional right to economic security.
