Lucknow: Criticising the Uttar Pradesh government’s claim of resolving sugarcane farmers issues, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said that the government has cheated the cane growers. She has tweeted from her official handle stating that the UP government has not hiked the SAP for cane, nor have cleared cane arrears.
Priyanka also alleged that she had written to the government to increase SAP but has not received any reply so far. She has also shared the figures of pending cane arrears in the state.
She had written a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath on December 11 over the government’s decision of not changing SAP from last two years when the rates of fertilisers, power and labour costs are increased. In a letter, she had expected that the government would take some steps in this regard for the welfare of farmers.
Refuting the allegations made by Priyanka Gandhi, Sugarcane minister Suresh Rana said, “For the first time after independence farmers have received speedy payment of cane arrears during these 33 months. During this period, Yogi government has compelled mills to clear pending cane arrears worth Rs 82,762 crore.”
Recently, the State Government has released an amount of Rs.200.00 crore for the outstanding Cane price payment of 20 cooperative sugar mills of the state of year 2018-19. With this amount, the Sugar mills of the cooperative sector will pay the outstanding cane price payment of the crushing season 2018-19 to cane farmers.
