Ruckus in assembly over delay in announcing sugarcane prices

Raising the issue through an adjournment motion during zero hour, BJP member Madan Kaushik said sugarcane growers are facing problems as the state government is yet to announce support price for sugarcane while all the 10 sugar mills in the state have already begun crushing of sugarcanes.

Sugarcane growers going to sugar factories at present do not know anything about the price they would get for their produce, Kaushik said.

Considering the amount spent by farmers over a cash crop like sugarcane, the state government should not just announce its price immediately but also fix it at Rs 300 to Rs 350 per quintal.

In his reply, Sugarcane Development Minister Surendra Singh Negi said the state government was sensitive to the problems of farmers and cited the recent waiver of Rs 498 crore the sugarcane growers owed to sugar factories in the cooperartive sector as arrears as an example of this.

Not satisfied with the minister's reply which they said overlooked the basic point, agitated opposition members went close to the Speaker's chair and shouted anti-government slogans.

When the Speaker's repeated requests to the BJP members to resume their seats fell on deaf ears, he adjourned the proceedings for lunch till 3pm.