Cotton export ban rollback is eyewash, says Narendra Modi

With elections knocking on Gujarat’s doors, state’s farmers are the most pampered lot these days with both the BJP and Congress leaving no stone unturned to woo them. A day after the Congress claimed credit for the reversal of the ban on cotton exports by the Centre, it was Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s turn today to burst the bubble with his comment that the rollback was nothing but mere deception.

Modi’s statement ridiculed Gujarat Congress leaders who were claiming credit for rollback of the cotton export ban. CM said that Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had not only suspended issue of new registration certificates for cotton exports, but also ordered revalidation of the certificates issued earlier.

“All registration certificates would need to be submitted to DGFT for scrutiny and revalidation, and exports can be effected only after these are revalidated,” Modi said, quoting from the DGFT notification. Warning that farmers of the state would never forgive the Centre for the ban, Modi, however, added that the conditions would only open up new doors for corruption.

Commerce ministry had imposed the ban on cotton exports on March 5. The decision had come under severe criticism from various states. Modi too had shot off a letter to the PM the same day demanding an immediate rollback.