Opposition corners UP govt over sugarcane dues

Opposition parties today cornered the Uttar Pradesh government in the Assembly alleging that the Samajwadi Party regime has failed to fulfil the promises it made over payments to sugarcane farmers and electricity in the state.
Participating in a debate over pending dues of sugarcane farmers, standing at over Rs 7,500 crore, members of Congress, Lok Dal, BSP and BJP alleged that government is not serious in ensuring their payments despite the High Court orders.
The government, in its reply through Minister of State for Youth Affairs Ram Karan Arya, said it was serious towards ensuring the payments.
"A total payment of Rs 7,529.35 crore of farmers was pending on cooperative and private sugar mills. It included 7,096.18 on private mills. The government has lodged 71 FIRs on 38 sugar mills to ensure payment," Arya said.

Pressing for assurance on time-bound payment, members of opposition parties barged into the Well of the House where the Congress and RLD MLAs sat on a dharna.
On the debate on power crisis, Minister of State for Power Yasir Shah said the government was working to overcome the electricity woes in the state and assured to end it by 2016.
However, dissatisfied over the minister's reply, the BSP and BJP staged a walkout.