The Punjab government today requested Ministry of Textiles to either direct Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to post its own staff in five mandis of Punjab,where it has not entered so far,or authorise Punjab Markfed to make purchases on behalf of the CCI. Newsline has learnt that a letter to Secretary,Textile Ministry,was sent by Punjab Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh in this regard. According to sources,Singh said due to a shortage of staff in the agency,CCI Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) had agreed that Punjab Markfed could make purchases on behalf of CCI,provided the Ministry of Textiles approves the arrangement". CCI CMD S C Grover was not available for comments. Bathinda branch CCI Manager VP Nagpal,however,said such an arrangement was not likely to mature even as BKU (Ekta) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan claimed that Darbara Singh Guru,Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister,had assured that arrangement would be in place by January 14 and procurement would begin in those mandis by January 15. The five mandis where CCI has not entered so far are Lehragaga,Sunam,Dirba (in Sangrur),Nihalsinghwala (in Moga) and Bhikhi (in Mansa). CCI is citing staff shortage as the reason.
