Cotton harvesting starts in Tashkent.

	The cotton harvesting campaign in 2004; photo: Thomas Grabka (c)

23.08.12 04:27

Cotton harvesting starts in Tashkent

Bus fleets in Tashkent have been notified that they will start carrying workers of state-run enterprises and organisations to cotton fields on 3 September.

“We were told as early as on Monday that `cotton’ trips would start on 3 September. All bus fleets and organisations that have buses would be involved,” a bus driver, Rustam, said.

He said the authorities chartered buses running on city routes and their drivers every year.

According to Rustam, they have to

Bus fleets in Tashkent have been notified that they will start carrying workers of state-run enterprises and organisations to cotton fields on 3 September”
A bus driver

drive employees of all public organisations, with no exception.

“Even employees, of course, ordinary employees of the city mayor’s office are taken to cotton fields. Perhaps, only deputies and those sitting in the presidential office do not go. We drive everyone else, even ministerial workers,” the driver said.

This year is promising to be bumper for cotton pickers because of the hot and dry summer. This means there will be the need for a large number of cheap, or even free, public workers.

“This year the students of tax and customs colleges and the military lyceum will be driven to pick cotton. The latter was not bothered last year,” Rustam said referring to an instruction by the head of bus company No 2 where he works.

The mass transportation of urban residents to cotton fields does not bode well for those Tashkent residents that will not be affected by the cotton harvesting campaign as 40-50% of city buses will be busy carrying cotton pickers from the city.

Workload will double for remaining buses and getting on a bus will be an even more difficult task than usual.

Uznews.net

 

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