Sugarcane farmers ‘indefinite’ protest at theJalandhar-Phagwara highway enters its fourth day today. The blocked roads andrailways tracks continue to give commuters a hard time, while there’s noheadway in talks between farmers’ leaders and Punjab Government.
The meeting between Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder SinghRandhawa and farmer leaders remained inconclusive on Sunday. The farmers havebeen demanding State Advised Price (SAP) on sugarcane to be raised to at leastRs 370, as compared to the previous price of Rs 295 to 310 (varying accordingto variety).
They said the per quintal price of sugarcane in Haryanawas Rs 350 last year and had now been raised to Rs 358, but sugarcane growersin Punjab had been receiving a price of Rs 310 per quintal for the last fiveyears.
Meanwhile, supporting the demand of farmers, PPCC ChiefNavjot Singh Sidhu today through a tweet once again questioned his owngovernment and said Punjab’s assured price is way too less than other states.
He said, “The sugarcane farmers issue needs to beimmediately resolved amicably …. Strange that despite the higher cost ofcultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana/ UP / Uttarakhand. As torchbearer of agriculture, the Punjab SAP should bebetter”.
Besides, the protesting farmers have also said if theirdemands are not met, they’ll give a Punjab Bandh call for Tuesday, and that thedharna will not end till the price of sugarcane reaches Rs 400.
Farmers’ leaders said that the Amarinder Singh governmenthas made us the target of a cruel joke. They have announced a meagre rise of Rs15 per quintal. “During the finalisation of this amount, the state governmentdid not have any representative from our side. We expected the SAP on sugarcaneto be raised to at least Rs 370”, said Manjit Rai, head of the Bhartiya KisanUnion.