Chandigarh, Nov 13: Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday appealed to Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to increase the state assured price (SAP) of the sugarcane crop to Rs 350 a quintal.
Bajwa said SAP in Haryana is Rs 330 but in Punjab it is between Rs 285 and Rs 300. Terming it an injustice with farmers, he demanded that SAP in Punjab be fixed at Rs 350 a quintal.
He said in a release that the central and state governments have been asking farmers to diversify but if they are not given adequate price for their crop, the move could come a cropper.
“In four years, there has been no increase in the price of sugarcane in Punjab. Today, the retail price of sugar is at an all-time high of Rs 4,100 per quintal. 70% of the sugarcane is crushed by private millers in Punjab so the state government has nothing to lose. Private millers are into power generation, distilleries or breweries from the byproducts of sugarcane so even they won’t be affected by the price increase as they make huge profits at prevailing rates,” he said.
The former state Congress president said due to lower SAP in Punjab, opposition parties are trying to project it as a decision taken under pressure from the lobby of sugar barons which is not the case. “To debunk this negative propaganda against the government, an immediate hike in SAP should be effected,” he added.
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com
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