Lucknow, May 28: Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said claimed that only Rs 700-800 crores payment is left to be paid to the sugarcane farmers, Cane Commissioner’s Office in Lucknow states that the data shown by the NDA government not only wrong, but have been changed according to NDA government’s convenience. The actual amount still to be paid to the farmers by the UP mills remains at large to Rs 5,795 crore, which is much higher than amount mentioned by Modi.
Addressing the rally in Saharanpur on Thursday, when the NDA was celebrating the two years of completion of government at centre, Narendra Modi had said, “When I took charge (as PM), cane farmers were owed Rs 14,000 crore. We made efforts to ensure they got paid in time. I can say that these dues have to a great extent been cleared, through different schemes of ours. About Rs 700-800 crore of payments are still pending. I am requesting the state government and warning the sugar mills that whatever you have done to farmers for all these years, now you will not be allowed to do.” ALSO READ: Narendra Modi allocates Rs 10,000 crore for roadways in North-East
Though Modi has claimed that his government has worked in such a fashion that the deprived sugarcane growers have received the maximum amount, government data shows till May 26 shows that cane due of UP mills still remains to be Rs 5,795 crore, which if calculated is eight times the amount mentioned by PM Modi. The records show that during the current 2015-16 sugar season, UP mills have bought cane worth Rs 17,996.73 crore from farmers at the state government’s advised price (SAP) of Rs 280 per quintal.
According to the state officials, the Samajwadi Party administration allowed the mills to pay the SAP in two installments, one of Rs 230/quintal within 14 days of the cane being delivered to the factory and the remaining Rs 50/quintal within three months after the completion of crushing operations. Indian Express reports states that till now mills have paid Rs Rs 12,201.73 crore, which is much below than Rs 14,815.89 crore that one farmers should have got at Rs 230/quintal.
As farmers are complaining that they have not received the required amount and mills complaining about the low rates of sugar in the market, Modi allegedly giving wrong data just to boost his government’s work in last two years might not work in Uttar Pradesh and would certainly give reasons to opposition to raise questions on NDA government.
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