Farmers protest at CM's camp office over sugarcane SAP

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 29

Farmers held a protest near the CM’s camp office over alleged delay in fixing the state advised price (SAP) of sugarcane on Thursday.

Protesting under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), they raised slogans against the government and burnt an effigy of the CM. They tried to gherao the CM’s camp office, but the police foiled their attempt and stopped them at some distance.

The protesting farmers, meanwhile, served an ultimatum on the government that if the SAP was not hiked to Rs 450 a quintal till January 9, they would hold a kisan mahapanchayat at the Karnal grain market on January 10.

The prevailing SAP for sugarcane is Rs 362 a quintal. Rampal Chahal, vice-president of the BKU (Charuni) and state vice-president of Ganna Sangharsh Samiti Haryana, said all sugar mills started cane crushing a month ago, but the government was yet to announce the SAP for 2022-23, due to which resentment prevailed among farmers.

“We demand the government to hike the sugarcane SAP to Rs 450 per quintal as the input cost has gone up,” he added.

Kurukshetra: Demanding an increase in sugarcane prices, farm activists under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) held a demonstration outside the residence of Shahabad MLA and Sugarfed chairman Ramkaran Kala on Thursday.

The union has been seeking a hike in the sugarcane prices to Rs 450 a quintal for the ongoing crushing season, from the current price of Rs 362 a quintal.

The farmers raised anti-government slogans and burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

BKU (Charuni) spokesman Rakesh Bains said, “It is public representatives’ duty to raise farmers’ issues effectively. The sugarcane price hasn’t been increased this year, while the cost of production has gone up. Farmers expressed their resentment today and now they will block the weighing scales of sugar mills for three hours on January 5, hold a dharna from January 5 to January 9 and then hold a mahapanchayat on January 10 in Karnal.”