Opposition stages walk out from Council over sugarcane dues

BSP and BJP members today staged a walkout from Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad on the issues of non-payment of dues to the sugarcane farmers and power crisis in the state.
Leader of Opposition and BSP member Naseemuddin Siddiqui raised the issue of cane dues during the Zero Hour through an adjournment notice demanding a debate. Notices of Congress and RLD members were attached with it.
The BSP, in its notice, said that there was a dues of Rs 9,000 crore, including interest, payable to the sugarcane farmers.
Alleging understanding between the mill owners and the government, Siddiqui said payment of cane dues to farmers would not be done by merely issuing recovery certificates.

While in reply, Leader of the House Ahmad Hasan said the government was very serious towards payment of cane price and was working on it.
He assured that payment would be made very soon, however, alleged that previous Mayawati government sold cooperative sugar mills, whereas SP regime made closed ones operational.

Dissatisfied with the reply, BSP members walked out of the House.
Chairman Ganesh Shanker Pandey, while rejecting the notice, directed the government for payment of cane dues at the earliest.
In a separate notice, BJP members raised the issue of power crisis in the state.
Leader of BJP in the House Hriday Narain Dixit accused the government of not solving the issue and misleading the house.

While, Leader of the House Ahmad Hasan said the government was making efforts to solve the power crisis.
Stating that the demand has increased due to summer, he accused the Opposition of doing politics on the issue.
However, dissatisfied with the reply, BJP members walked out of the House.
The Chairman, while rejecting the notice, directed the state government to take effective action and ensure regular power supply.