UP decides new SAP for sugarcane

Lucknow, Dec 15 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief MInister Mulayam Singh Yadav today announced in the state assembly, a new State Advisory Price (SAP) for sugarcane, amidst noisy protests from the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

This year's SAP is Rs 10 per quintal higher from last year.

Mr Yadav's announcement in the House was met with vocal protests from the BJP members who termed the SAP as 'inadequate'.

While the Early variety has been placed at Rs 130 per quintal, the Common variety has been placed at Rs 125 per quintal. The government has announced Rs 122.50 per qunital as the SAP (purchase price in common parlance) for late variety of sugarcane.

Last year, the SAP band was between Rs 115 and Rs 120 per qunital.

The new SAP would get farmers an Rs 9,000 crore. ''A farmer would get an additional revenue of upto Rs 750 following the announcement,'' Mr Yadav told the assembly.

BJP's Hukum Singh said the SAP was quite less as compared to sugar prices in the market which ranged from Rs 21 to Rs 22 per kg.

While BJP members made a noisy protest, the treasury benches thumped the benches in support of the announcement.

Members of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, an ally of the ruling Samajwadi Party, remained silent when the SAP was announced. The RLD had proposed the SAP to be Rs 150 per qunital.

UNI MB NAB SB LL BST1405