Front Page   

Package for cane growers of 3 States

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI July 17. The Centre has decided to extend a Rs. 600-crore package of assistance to sugarcane growers in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttaranchal. The decision was taken at a meeting held by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, at his residence this morning with the Union Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, and the Agriculture Minister, Rajnath Singh, this morning.

Briefing presspersons later, Mr. Rajnath Singh said the aid would be provided from the Sugar Development Fund (SDF) under the Food Ministry.

The modalities would be finalised in seven to 10 days after consultations with the three State Governments.

He also emphasised that the assistance would be a one-time affair relating to the just-concluded sugarcane season.

The package is meant to help the States provide succour to their cane farmers who were facing difficulties after sugar mills insisted on paying them only on the basis of the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) announced by the Centre and not on the basis of the higher State Advisory Prices (SAP), on the ground that it was not economically feasible.

(Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Haryana are the only States where the special SAP rates are announced every year in a bid to encourage farmers to take up sugarcane cultivation. The other States follow the SMP rate. Last year, while the Centre announced a SMP of Rs. 69.5 a quintal, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal announced a SAP of Rs. 95 a quintal, and Haryana Rs. 110 a quintal.)

Incidentally, the Union Food Minister, Sharad Yadav, did not attend the meeting though the SDF came under his Ministry.

Although he denied that he had any differences over the decision and said that he could not attend it as he was busy with a delegation from Gujarat, his absence raised a few eyebrows.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Opposition gearing to take on Govt. in Parliament
• Nitish resumes work
• Shimla pact still relevant: Fazlur Rehman
• Vikram Seth strikes it rich
• Package for cane growers of 3 States
• Pandya instigated the mob, alleges witness
• New RBI Governor
• Himachal cloudburst: bodies yet to be recovered
• Third Gujarati to win Jnanpith
• Ambanis exempted
• Goods train derails

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu