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Maha CM, Dy CMs to meet Amit Shah over ethanol and onion export issue
The Central government on December 8 banned exports of onion till March next year to increase domestic availability and keep prices in check, which is currently selling at about ₹60 per kg
To discuss the ban on onion export and ethanol issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar plan to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, December 18.
The Central government on December 8 banned exports of onion till March next year to increase domestic availability and keep prices in check, which is currently selling at about ₹60 per kg.
On a similar note, the Centre’s decision to ban the use of ‘sugarcane juice and sugar syrup’ for ethanol production has not gone down well with farmers in the state, leading to statewide protests.
In this context, Pawar stated, “Both the central government’s decisions to ban onion exports and not use sugarcane juice for ethanol production have impacted farmers in Maharashtra. The farmer organisations are up in arms about it, and we will meet with the home minister to discuss the prevalent issues. We had arranged to meet on Friday evening, but it was rescheduled to Monday.”
Following the outburst, the government said the ethanol decision was taken to keep the price bracket in check, considering this year’s low sugar production.
Reacting to the development, Pawar further added, “This year, many farmers have suffered losses due to unseasonal rains. We, as a government, will take appropriate action to tackle the issue. The Chief Minister will announce a package for farmers’ relief soon. During the recent meeting in Nagpur between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit faction), the seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha elections was discussed. The Maha Yuti will win at least 45 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.”
Last week, NCP president Sharad Pawar on December 11 joined a protest by onion farmers in Nashik and demanded that the ban on the export of the key kitchen staple be lifted immediately. Several farmers staged a ‘rasta roko’ on the Mumbai-Agra National Highway against the Centre’s decision to ban the exports.
