UP to file SLP against Allahabad HC order on SAP scrapping

Lucknow, Dec 20 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government would file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court against an Allahabad High Court order quashing the State Advisory Price(SAP) on sugarcane.

State Cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said here that the state Sugar industry and cane development department has started the paper work for the SLP. ''It would be filed early next month,'' he said.

He claimed that the state government was sensitive towards the interests of the cane growers. ''Today we had met the sugarmill owners and they have assured us to clear all dues of the last crushing season -- said to be to the tune of Rs 800 crore -- by the end of the month,'' he added.

This would be the second SLP to be filed by the Mayawati government against the order of the High Court pertaining to sugarcane pricing.

The Allahabad High Court had yesterday quashed the State Advisory Price (SAP) fixed by the Uttar Pradesh government for crushing season 2006-07 and directed the state to revise the same within three months.

Last month a Lucknow division bench of the Allahabad HC had decreased the price of the sugarcane to Rs 110 per quintal from the SAP announced by the state of Rs 125 per quintal. The UP government had moved a SLP on decreasing the price of the SAP which is expected to come up for hearing in the Supreme Court in the first week of January.

Mr Singh said that the government was yet to recieve the certified copy of the judgement from the Allahabad High Court which had scrapped the SAP.

Yesterday, the court has suggested for constituting a committee of experts, including representatives of sugarcane unions, Centre and other agencies for fixing the new SAP rate.

The court further directed that no hard steps shall be taken against the sugar factories for realisation of SAP.

The above order was passed by a division bench comprising Justices Amitav Lala and V C Mishra on the writ petitions filed by private sugar mills.

The petitioners had challenged the SAP on the ground that the state government without any guidelines, norms had fixed the SAP on December 26, 2006 at Rs 125 per quintal of sugar cane for general variety.

While hearing the petition, the record related to fixation of SAP was summoned by the court and after giving the record of cabinet decision, the court has announced the judgement.

UNI