Chandigarh, Haryana: Former chief minister and leader of the opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, expressed his disappointment with the state government’s recent increase in the price of sugarcane by a mere Rs 14 per quintal, characterising it as a mockery of the farmers’ demands, reported Times of India.
Hooda pointed out that the sugarcane farmers in the state had long been advocating for the price of sugarcane to be elevated to Rs 450 per quintal. He contrasted this with his government’s previous actions, citing that the Congress government had substantially raised the sugarcane rate by a record Rs 193, elevating it from Rs 117 to Rs 310. This represented a remarkable 165% increase over nine years, making it the highest price in the country at the time. In contrast, the BJP government, according to Hooda, had only increased the price of sugarcane from Rs 310 in 2014 to Rs 372 in 2023-24, constituting a modest 20% increase over nine years.
Hooda underscored the Congress government’s commitment to not only procuring sugarcane from farmers but also ensuring that they received prompt payment. He stated that when his party will come to power in Haryana the following year, they would promptly raise the sugarcane price to Rs 450 per quintal, once again setting the highest rate for sugarcane in the country.
