A state-of-the-art cotton pre-cleaning and drying machine worth Rs 2 crore, purchased by the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board, remains unused in Malout. The machine, procured from Nagpur in 2014, was intended to benefit cotton growers by streamlining the cleaning and drying process on a ‘no profit, no loss’ basis. However, the equipment has been neglected since its inauguration, resulting in missing or damaged parts.
Market committee officials in Malout expressed disappointment over the machine’s current state. With a capacity to clean six tonnes of cotton per hour by removing leaves, the machine also aimed to reduce moisture levels and enhance the quality of cotton fiber for marketing purposes. However, this plan was abandoned due to the high estimated costs of constructing a shed to protect the machine from the elements.
Amandeep Singh Kang, secretary of the Market Committee in Malout, stated that the machine’s limited functionality, only separating leaves and drying the cotton, rendered it less useful. Moreover, the decline in the region’s cotton cultivation area, combined with factories purchasing cotton directly from growers, has left the machine idle for several years.
Demanding answers, commission agents insist that an independent agency should investigate why the machine was purchased but never operationalized. With hopes for a resolution, the cotton drying machine in Malout remains an expensive and forgotten investment.
