RLD not satisfied with sugarcane price: Ajit

Lucknow, Dec 16 (UNI) Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in the state, today expressed its dissatisfication with the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to hike the purchase price of Sugarcane by the sugar mills in the state during the current crushing season by only Rs 10 per quintal.

'' The hike is inadequate as the farmers deserved more for their produce'', RLD President Ajit Singh said here.

'' The rate should have been at least around Rs 150 per quintal this year as in the last season the farmers had got good price for their produce'', he said.

Mr Singh said the cane farmers were being paid Rs 60 to Rs 100 for the last over two months due to non-announcement of the state cane price and now it is the duty of the state government to ensure that the farmers were paid the remaining amount, along with interest by the mills at the earliest.

The RLD also criticised the state government for introducing third category of sugarcane price as it will encourage harrassment of the farmers by the mill owners.

Introduction of third grade or rejected sugarcane by the government would mean that the mill would be free to identify the common variety of Rs 125 per quintal as third grade and thus would be elegible for only Rs 122.50 per quintal payment, he said.

Yesterday, UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had announced the new State Advisory Price (SAP) for sugarcane with Rs 10 per quintal hike.

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 quintal 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.

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