The sugarcane farmers blocked traffic movement on all major highways passing through the western UP cities. The agitated farmers blocked lucknow-Delhi and Dehradun -Delhi Highways at several points for sugarcane payments and increase in sugarcane prices.
The farmers union Bhartiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said the UP Government has befooled the farmers by delaying tactics of not forcing the UP sugar mills to pay the farmers payments which has reached to the tune of `673 crore.
Out of eight defaulters the major defaulting units are Titavi Sugar Mill, Simbhaoli Sugar Mill, Mahana and Daurala Sugar Mills. Only `112 crore has been paid till now after the much hue and cry from the farmers.
"Most shockingly no increase has been made in the sugarcane prices in last four years. `280/- per quintal was announced during 2012 and this year the same `280/- per quintal has been announced by the mills despite price index has reached over 30 per cent during these four years" said VM Singh another farmer leader and former MlA from Pilibhit.
'The law and order situation has been ensured under control and the police had been ensuring a lenient attitude towards agitating farmers though they had blocked lucknow-Delhi Highway and Delhi-Dehradun Highway in addition to the local roads in Bijnore and Meerut" said ADG law and Oder Daljeet Chaudhry.