BJP stages walkout in U'khand assembly

Opposition BJP today staged a walkout in Uttarakhand assembly demanding payment of arrears to sugarcane growers within a set timeframe.
Raising the issue through an adjournment motion during Zero Hour, BJP member Madan Kaushik said sugarcane growers in the state are in a miserable condition due non-payment of their dues by sugar mill owners.
He was joined by other BJP members who rose to their feet asking the state government to set a deadline to sugar mill owners for making payments to sugarcane growers.
Replying to the motion, sugarcane development minister Surendra Singh Negi said payment was being delayed to sugarcane growers as the sugar mills were making losses due to high production costs and low market price.

Making a reference to recent announcement of a Rs 6,600 crore package by the Centre to pull the loss making sugar mills out of the red, the minister said it would also help in timely payment of arrears to the sugarcane growers.
When the plea by opposition members to specify a time frame for payment of arrears to sugarcane growers went unresponded, they walked out of the House in protest.