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Now Sidhu hauls Amarinder Singh over sugarcane prices, says issue must be resolved immediately
“The sugarcane farmers issue needs to be immediately resolved amicably …. Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana / UP / Uttarakhand,” Sidhu tweeted.
As sugarcane farmers in Punjab continued to protest against the Congress-led government, demanding a hike in prices of their produce, the party's state unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday called for a resolution of the issue. Sidhu pointed out that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab, the state-advised price (SAP) is lower than what Bharatiya Janata Party-led Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have.
Taking to Twitter, Sidhu urged that the state assured price in Punjab should be better. “The sugarcane farmers issue needs to be immediately resolved amicably …. Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana / UP / Uttarakhand,” he wrote on the microblogging site.
This is being seen as yet another tussle between Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu after a tenuous truce between them. Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was recently given charge of the top Congress post in the state, has been at loggerheads with the Punjab government and chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh over several issues.
Also Read| Punjab cane farmers continue rail, road blockade as talks with govt remain inconclusive
On Monday, the cricketer-turned-politician summoned his advisors regarding a controversy over their remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and late prime minister Indira Gandhi. Chief minister Singh earlier warned the advisors against making such comments which were potentially dangerous to the peace and stability of Punjab as well as India.
Since last Friday, scores of sugarcane farmers launched an agitation for an indefinite period and asked the Congress-led government in Punjab to accept their demands of raising the SAP of sugarcane and clearing payment of arrears to the tune of ₹200-250 crore.
On Sunday, the farmers continued to block roads, railway tracks and also blocked one national highway in Jalandhar as a meeting between their representatives and cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and other officials remained inconclusive. During the meeting, the farmer leaders expressed disappointment as the government increased the SAP of sugarcane from ₹310 to ₹325 without taking them into confidence.
“Not much was achieved from today’s meeting. It remained inconclusive,” farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal was quoted as saying as news agency PTI on Sunday. However, Dallewal pointed out the government assured that outstanding arrears of private mills will be cleared within the next 15 days and those of the cooperative be settled by the first week of September. Another farmer leader, Balbir Singh Rajewal, said the blockade will continue until the demand for a hike in cane prices is met. The farmers are expected to hold another round of meetings on Monday.
