RLD state president Munna Singh Chauhan said his party workers will hold large scale protests and disrupt the life in western Uttar Pradesh if the government failed to announce the SAP of sugarcane by December 10. “We will block the highways and organise protests at sugar mills and the offices of district cane officers. The government has not been able to announce the SAP even though the crushing of cane started in October itself. This shows their indifference to the problems faced by farmers,” he said at a press conference.

Chauhan said most of the cane farmers are being forced to sell their cane to private crushers at a price of Rs 180 to Rs 200 per quintal as the sugar mill owners are not accepting the cane of “other” variety (lowest quality cane), as the government has not fixed the SAP for any of the three varieties of cane — early, late and other.

Chauhan said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan’s comment that his government could have declared the SAP for cane had RLD members not trooped in the well of Assembly during session, shows not only the government’s insensitivity towards farmers but also their disrespect for democratic values.

He said the delay in crushing of cane will also delay the sowing of wheat and affect the agricultural growth rate of the state.

Meanwhile, state BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai alleged that the state government was not declaring the SAP of cane as its “deal with the sugar mill owners had not been finalised”. He said the government should immediately announce the SAP, otherwise BJP workers will gherao sugar mills in the state from Wednesday, after the Assembly session gets over. He demanded that the SAP should not be less than Rs 400 per quintal.

Janata Darshan suspended for Assembly session