Tripartite comittee meeting to fix cane price in Pondy

Puducherry, Apr 21 (UNI) The Puducherry administration will soon convene a tripartite committee meeting to fix the cane price for the crushing season this year, Chief Minister N Rangasamy told the Territorial Assembly today.

Replying to a question, he said the Government's desire was to make cane growers happy and last year the Lingareddippalayam cooperative sugar mill had announced a higher cane price when compared to the surrounding mills. Farmers supplying cane to the mill were well aware of the mill's position and they had agreed to collect Rs 1,134 per tonne of sugarcane last year. They were paid Rs 100 more as compared to the cane price in Tamil Nadu, he added.

When Mr K Lakshminarayanan (PMC) along with other members insisted that the Government should bear the harvesting expenses as well as the vehicle hire charges for transporting cane to the mills, the Chief Minister categorically ruled out the possibility and said the members were suggesting an easy way to close down the mill as it was presently running at a loss of Rs 85 crore.

To another question, Mr Rangasamy said the Puducherry administration had amended the Minimum Wages Act for the Puducherry and Karaikal regions of the Union Territory on February 21 last and for Mahe on February 18.

For the Yanam region, it was last amended on July eight, 2003, and steps would be taken to amend it forthwith. The minimum wage for women was fixed at Rs 70 for five hours of work and Rs 80 for six hours of work in the Puducherry and Karaikal regions and Rs 120 for five hours of work and Rs 160 for six hours of work in the Mahe region, he said.

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