Basti, Uttar Pradesh: On Wednesday, the Congress accused the BJP of neglecting Uttar Pradesh’s once-thriving sugar industry and disregarding farmers’ repeated requests to increase the price of sugarcane. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh raised questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his rallies in Shravasti and Basti.
Ramesh highlighted that Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest sugarcane producer, noting that Basti used to host four sugar mills: the Rudhauli Athdama Bajaj Hindustan Sugar Mill, Basti Sugar Mill, Munderao Sugar Mill, and Kaptanganj Sugar Mill. Despite this, the BJP government has ignored farmers’ calls for higher sugarcane prices, he said.
“Currently, prices are only Rs.360 per quintal in UP, significantly lower than Rs.386 per quintal in Punjab and Rs.391 per quintal in Haryana. Price increases have not kept up with inflation, leaving farmers struggling with rising costs of fertilisers and pesticides,” Ramesh stated.
Today’s questions for the PM’s visits to Shravasti and Basti:
1. Why does Shravasti have the highest infant mortality rate in UP?
2. Why have 189 primary schools in Basti been declared unusable?
3. Why has the BJP neglected Basti’s sugarcane farmers and sugar mills?
Jumla…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 22, 2024
“The area under cultivation has also come down by almost 4000 hectares in the last three years, which is now causing problems for the sugar mills. Amidst cane shortages, mills are struggling to pay farmers on time, and many fear that the mills will shut down permanently. This vicious cycle is threatening the livelihoods of sugarcane farmers and mill workers but the BJP government is nowhere to be seen. Can the outgoing PM tell us why the BJP has ignored the plight of UP’s once thriving sugar industry?”, he further added.
