In a major announcement ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections, due next year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday that his government will be making an effort to increase the procurement price of sugarcane — a major demand of the farmers in West UP since the last three years.
“Our government has cleared record sugarcane dues dating back to 2010. 82 percent of dues of the present season have also been cleared and all dues will be cleared before the next season. But we are also trying that there is some increase in the procurement price of sugarcane. Let us talk to all stakeholders first…” the CM told a group of farmers at an interaction at his residence. “Our farmers should not worry or not be misled by anyone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is there and your government is there in UP. We will take a firm decision and work for you,” Adityanath said.
The CM also made several other announcements in big outreach to the farming community such as withdrawing cases lodged against farmers for burning stubble, while a decision will also come soon on revoking fines for the same, besides a promise that no electricity connection of a farmer’s home would be snapped due to pending payment of bills.
The State Advised Price (SAP) of sugarcane has not been increased in UP since the past three years and was last hiked by Rs 10 per quintal in 2017 soon after the Yogi government had come to power. The SAP has since remained at Rs 315 per quintal.
Farmers in West UP have been demanding a hike in SAP, citing higher input costs and rise in prices of diesel and fertilizer. This is also a major poll issue in the state amidst the farmer protests on Delhi-UP border over the three farm laws. Recently, Punjab increased the SAP of sugarcane after protests by farmers.
“Our government has decided that in West UP, the sugarcane mills will start from October 20, in Central UP from October 25 and in East UP form the first week of November,” the CM said.
He also promised farmers that sugar mills will continue to run till cane is standing in the field of farmers. “When we came to power in 2017, there were sugarcane dues dating back to 2010. We worked to clear dues of eight years, that is 96 months, in our tenure. From 2007-2017, sugarcane dues worth Rs 95,000 crore were cleared by previous governments. We have cleared dues worth Rs 1.42 lakh crores in our tenure of less than five years,” Adityanath said.
The CM also said that the SP government in 2016-17 procured 6 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, while his government had procured 56 lakh metric tonnes of wheat this year despite the coronavirus pandemic. He said the highest quantity of paddy procured by the SP government in a year was 16 lakh metric tonnes, while his government has procured 66 lakh metric tonnes in a year.
“We have procured on MSP and the amount directly went into accounts of farmers, while SP (government) procured through middle-men,” the CM claimed.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Assembly Elections Live Updates here.
Comments
0 comment