Uttarakhand cane SAP to be higher than UP's

With retail prices of sugar reaching the all-time high of Rs 40 per kg and farmers resorting to agitation, the Uttarakhand government is planning to declare state advised price (SAP) higher than neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

“We are ready to give a price which is acceptable to the farmers,” said a state government official here.

The official indicated that the government’s SAP would be in the range of Rs 180-200, which would be enough to placate the agitating farmers, who are demanding a higher price.

Farmers in Haridwar, on Thursday, stopped trains and blocked traffic in various areas to lodge their strong protest against non-declaration of SAP and the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane recently announced by the Centre.

Ever since the announcement of FRP, the Uttarakhand government has been hesitant on the SAP, which in turn has delayed the crushing season also. The crushing season, which normally begins in the first fortnight of November, may now begin when the SAP is declared in the next few days.

After Uttar Pradesh announced its SAP, the pressure mounted on the Uttarakhand government to make a matching announcement. But this did not happen owing to the FRP, which puts the burden on the state government in case its SAP is similar to the neigbouring state, which stands at Rs 162-170. The Centre’s FRP is far less, which is close to Rs 129.84 per quintal. The difference of SAP and FRP has to be paid by the state government, according to the new amendment of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

On the other hand, farmers are agitated over the non-declaration of the SAP, which they demand should be Rs 200-250 per quintal.

“We are closely watching developments related to Uttar Pradesh and taking a final decision shortly,” said the official adding legal advice was also being sought on the issue.

For the SAP, the state government has already constituted an expert committee, which has held three meetings in Dehra Dun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts pending the final decision.

State sugarcane minister Madan Kaushik has expressed unhappiness over the Centre’s decision on FRP.