Congress defends Government's sugarcane pricing policy

New Delhi, Nov 20(ANI): The Congress party on Friday defended the Union Government's sugarcane pricing policy, which has led to farmers unrest and adjournment of Parliament.

Digvijay Singh, General Secretary of the Congress Party, said that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) is in favour of the farmers, but even then the Government is mulling over amending in the ordinance.

"We are in favour of farmers. They should get a good price (for sugarcane crop). If one scrutinises this (FRP), he won't find it anti-farmer. Even then Rahul Gandhi (Congress General Secretary) met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday (November 19) and has requested to reconsider the ordinance, especially, clause 3B because of which burden has been put on the state Government," Singh said.

Thousands of farmers of the state are demanding the scrapping of the FRP ordinance and an increase in the State Advisory Price (SAP).

The 3B clause stipulates that state governments need to pay the difference between SAP and FRP to sugar mills if the SAP is higher than the FRP.

Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have been adjourned till November 23, after the proceedings were disrupted on the second consecutive day over the sugarcane pricing issue on Friday.

The ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition has given states greater autonomy in fixing sugarcane prices to help lift restrictions on the heavily regulated sugar sector and to stop sugar mills bearing the fiscal brunt of subsidised prices. (ANI)