Pawar blasts Munde for burning sugarcane

Mumbai, May 26 (UNI) Union Agriculture Minister and NCP President Sharad Pawar today launched a scathing attack on BJP National General Secretary Gopinath Munde for leading an agitation to burn sugarcane to highlight the issue of problems of the cane growers in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Pawar said, ''I can understand if an ignorant person speaks or acts in such a manner.

But, Mr Munde and many BJP leaders who participated in the agitation are sugar barons themselves and in their respective regions, more than one lakh tonne sugarcane has remained uncrushed. Instead of burning the sugarcane, they should have ensured that maximum cane is crushed and provided a relief to the cane growers.'' Refuting Mr Munde's allegation that he (Pawar) pays too much attention to cricket at the expense of the agriculture sector, Mr Pawar said cricket had nothing do to with his administrative and political duties. ''I attend my official duties for 15 to 16 hours a day. I am associated with various sports bodies in the administrative capacity for several years. The post of BCCI president has been made high profile these days. If you have a proper policy on paper and select competant people to implement the policy, there is no need to attend to the issues on daily basis,'' he said.

Mr Pawar further added, ''I look into cricket issues only on weekends. I look at cricket as a source of recreation and for peace of mind, while some people get the same at Chaufula (a village in Pune district where Tamasha artist Barkha whose relationship with Mr Munde became public when the Sena-BJP government was in power).'' The Minister said a financial package for the sugar industry is being worked out. The agriculture sector was a neglected lot during the NDA government and it was only during the UPA regime that collective steps have been taken to strengthen the agriculture and allied sectors.

He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a meeting of the Planning Commission on May 29 and invited all chief ministers to discuss the policy framework for agriculture and irrigation sectors. Investment in the agriculture sector is also expected to get a boost in the 11th Five Year Plan, he added.

Mr Pawar said excess sugarcane had been produced this year. ''In 2004-05, 194 lakh tonne was crushed, 445.57 lakh tonne in 2005-06 and till May 15, 2007, 700-86 lakh tonne was crushed which is a record since Independence,'' he added.

The total requirement of sugar in the country is 195 lakh tonne and there was 260 lakh tonne sugar this year in addition to the 50 lakh tonne excess sugar last year.

UNI