The plight of farmers rocked the Uttarakhand Assembly on the fifth day of Monsoon Session on Friday. The Opposition Congress lodged a strong protest on the subject and unsatisfied by the reply of agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal staged a walk out in the afternoon.
In an attempt to highlight the problems of the farmers and non-payment of dues of cane farmers, the Congress members came to the State Assembly on the tractors. They also carried sugar canes in their hands and tried to enter the House but they were stopped by the security personnel and marshals and were given entry only after they left the canes outside.
As soon as the proceedings of the day started the Congress members were up on their feet in demanding a work adjournment motion under rule 310 on the plight of farmers. They said that the Government is consistently claiming to double the income of the farmers but their income has reduced. The Speaker Prem Chand Agarwal ruled that the issue can be taken later under rule 58.
In the question hour, members of both Opposition and ruling parties made the Government uncomfortable on the pending dues of sugarcane farmers.
In response to a question of Qazi Nizamuddin, the sugarcane development Minister Swami Yatiswaranand said that the support price of sugarcane for the crushing season 2020-21 would be decided after receiving the recommendation of the state advisory committee. While replying to a question of Jhabreda MLA, Deshraj Karnwal, Yatiswaranand said that a sum of `231.52 crore is pending on the four sugar mills.
These mills owe the sum to the sugarcane farmers. A sum of `175 crore is due on the Iqbalpur sugar mill only. Karnwal demanded that the State Government arrest the owner of the Iqbalpur sugar mill for failing to pay the dues of the farmers. The Minister responded that the matter of this sugar mill is pending in the Uttarakhand High Court.
Later speaking on the issue under rule 58, the deputy leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Karan Mahra said both the central and state governments are not taking the issues of farmers seriously. He said that farmers of the state are suffering from the farm laws. Manglaur MLA Qazi Nizamuddin and Jaspur MLA, Adesh Chauhan also spoke on the issue. In his response the agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal said that the state government is committed for the welfare of the farmers and claimed that the farm laws are in favour of the farmers.