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Farmers protest outside residences of CM Khattar, ministers over sugarcane SAP
The Haryana government has decided to retain the last year’s SAP of ₹ 362 and ₹ 355 per quintal for early and late varieties for the current crushing season respectively
: Agitated over the Haryana government’s decision to retain the last year’s state advised price (SAP) for sugarcane, farmers on Thursday held protests outside the residences of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, ministers and MLAs across the state.
Protesting under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), farmers demanded the government to increase the SAP to ₹ 450 per quintal and threatened to disrupt crushing operations at all the private and cooperative sugar mills in the state on January 5.
According to the notification, the state government has decided to retain the last year’s SAP of ₹ 362 and ₹ 355 per quintal for early and late varieties for the current crushing season respectively.
In Karnal, a group of protesting farmers reached Prem Nagar locality amid heavy police deployment and tried to gherao the chief minister’s residence. Police stopped the protesters a few meters away and they staged a dharna by blocking the road there.
Later, the protesting farmers carrying sugarcane also burnt the effigy of the chief minister and threatened to intensify their agitations if their demand was not met by January 4.
Ajay Rana, Karnal district president of the BKU (Charuni) association, said that the government had earlier delayed the announcement of the SAP for more than a month, delaying the disbursement of payment and now, the government has refused to increase the SAP, which has exposed the anti-farmer face of this government.
They threatened that if the government did not increase the SAP to ₹ 450 per quintal, they will also stop the crushing operations in the sugar mills of the state indefinitely from January 12 by holding a state level kisan mahapanchayat at Karnal grain market on January 10.
Hundreds of protesting farmers from Kurukshetra took out a protest march to the residence of JJP’s Shahabad MLA and Haryana Sugarfed chairman Ram Karan Kala, removing barricades installed by police.
Similar protests were also held in Kaithal near the residence of minister of state Kamlesh Dhanda.
The Yamunanagar unit of the union staged a dharna outside the residence of education minister and BJP MLA from Jagadhri constituency Kanwar Pal.
“The Haryana government that used to boast about paying the highest price to sugarcane farmers in the country is behind Punjab this time. We want the SAP to be fixed at ₹ 450, else we will start indefinite strike outside sugar mills from January 5. Even if there is no reply, a mahapanchayat will be called in Karnal on January 10 and next step would be announced,” district president Sanju Gudiana said.
In Ambala, a protest was organised outside the residence of Congress MLA from Naraingarh Shally Chaudhary.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) also held a meeting in Panipat and threatened to hold protests in the state over the issue from January 26.
