Navjot Singh Sidhu praises BJP-ruled states over sugarcane price; flays Punjab govt policy

Sidhu said that it’s strange that despite cultivation cost being higher in Punjab, the assured price is too low compared to states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu today praised BJP-ruled states over the state assured sugarcane price to drive home the point that farmers’ protest issue in Punjab needs to be resolved immediately. Notably, farmers have been protesting in Jalandhar and some other areas demanding the Congress government to clear pending dues and increase the price.

Taking to Twitter, Sidhu said that it’s strange that despite cultivation cost being higher in Punjab, the assured price is too low compared to states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

“The sugarcane farmers issue needs to be immediately resolved amicably …. Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana / UP / Uttarakhand. As torchbearer of agriculture, the Punjab SAP should be better!” said Sidhu.

The sugarcane farmers issue needs to be immediately resolved amicably …. Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana / UP / Uttarakhand. As torchbearer of agriculture, the Punjab SAP should be better !

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) August 23, 2021

Farmers have blocked rail tracks and a national highway in Punjab’s Jalandhar demanding a price hike for sugarcane for the fourth day today. A meeting between their representatives and state ministers yesterday remained inconclusive. Senior farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal yesterday said that while the meeting was inconclusive, the state government has assured to clear the outstanding arrears of private mills within the next 15 days and those of cooperative to be settled by September first week.

Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that while cane growers are demanding Rs 400 per quintal, the government’s job is to watch the interests of farmers as well as the industry, reported PTI.

Earlier, the opposition party Shiromani Akali Dal had demanded from the Congress government to increase the state assured price (SAP) of sugarcane to a minimum of Rs 380 per quintal. Protesting farmers are demanding that the Punjab government raise the SAP of sugarcane and clear payment of arrears to the tune of Rs 200-250 crore.

The farmers have rejected a hike of Rs 15 per quintal announced by the government a few days back. The state government had revised sugarcane rates to Rs 325 for the early variety, Rs 315 for mid-variety and Rs 310 per quintal for the late maturing variety.