Activity Shrinks Further

Malpractices Rampant Nishtar THE presidential speech delivered by Madanmohan R Ruia at the 49th annual meeting of the East India Cotton Association, Bombay, is a severe indictment of the cotton trade. By detail- ing various malpractices rampant this season, Ruia has, unwittingly, streng- thened New Delhi's hands in the proposed complete take-over of the cotton trade. (Imports have already been entrusted to a state-run corporation.) Fortunately for the trade, the Government's own record in the management of nationalised institutions and public-sector undertakings is not very clean and encouraging.