The issue of non-payment of cane dues rocked the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday with the Opposition questioning Government’s intention in clearing cane dues with farmers facing the brunt because of non-payment of their arrears. The BJP, the Congress and the RlD members staged a noisy walkout saying that the Government was hand in glove with the mill owners.
The Opposition demanded that instead of arresting managers of the mills, the owners of the factory should be put behind bars for non-payment of the cane dues. The issue was raised through an adjournment notice moved by Congress member Pradeep Mathur and BJP member laxmikant Bajpai during the Zero Hour.
“The arrear is to the tune of Rs3,200 crore. The farmers are finding it hard to make their both ends meet. They are forced to take loans from the private money lenders because the farmers are yet to get the dues for their produce,” Mathur said. Pankaj Mallik (Congress) said Government gives subsidy to sugar mills to clear farmers’ dues. This subsidy should be given directly to the farmers.
The cane price is pegged at Rs280 per quintal for general variety. Of this mills pay Rs240 and the rest is given as subsidy to the mills. BJP member laxmikant Bajpai said that the cane growers were yet to get Rs6,390 crore to be paid by the sugar mills out of their total cane dues of Rs1,100 crore.