Defending his Government’s decision to retain last year’s cane price, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that Samajwadi Party was pro-farmers and would ensure that the farmers get the cane price announced by the State Government.
“The Opposition parties are making hollow noise over the cane price. They should tell people what they have done during their regime. The BSP sold 21 sugar mills at a throwaway price when it was in power while the BJP Government had opened fire on the cane growers. Now, these parties are shedding crocodile tears on the name of cane farmers,” Yadav said in the State Vidhan Sabha on Monday.
The Opposition members had stalled the proceedings of the Vidhan Sabha demanding an increase in the cane price. They did not allow the House to function forcing Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey to adjourn the House twice. Chief Minister said that his Government has initiated many pro-farmers schemes. “It is Samajwadi Party that introduced Kisan Durghatna Beema (farmer accident insurance scheme). It is our Government that renovated sick mills and made them operational and has initiated process to increase power generation in the State,” Yadav said.
He said as Opposition does not have any issue they are shedding crocodile tears on the name of farmers. The Uttar Pradesh Government has announced Rs 280 per quintal as cane price. Of which Rs 260 would be paid at the time of cane purchase and remaining Rs 20 would be paid by the mills during the crushing season. The farmers and Opposition parties are demanding Rs 300 as cane price.