Badal promises law for timely payment to cane growers if SAD-BSP voted to power

Mukerian (Pb), Nov 13 (PTI) SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said if voted to power, the SAD-BSP alliance would enact a law for timely payment of cane growers from sugar mills.

Addressing a slew of public meetings at various places in this constituency, the Shiromani Akali Dal president said he has received several complaints that sugar mills have been withholding their dues to farmers for as long as a year.

“This is not acceptable,” he said, adding the new law would have a provision of registration of a cognisable offence against mill owners if they fail to pay farmers dues within three months of crushing the cane.

He said the SAD-BSP alliance was committed to safeguarding the interests of the farming community.

Badal also asked Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to ensure sugarcane growers receive the State Assured Price (SAP) of Rs 360 per quintal notified by the government.

He said despite the fixation of SAP, sugar mills were not giving it.

“The government must ensure this price does not remain on paper only,” he said.

Badal was addressing rallies in support of party candidate Sarobjot Sabi from Mukerian.

Badal said people disclosed that despite the tall promise of the chief minister of sand being made available at Rs 5.50 per cubic foot, it was actually selling at more than Rs 20 per cubic foot.

Badal also sought to assure people that if the SAD-BSP alliance is voted to power, the scourge of illegal mining would be wiped out from the state and sand would be made available at low rates.

He slammed the Congress government for closing down mandis before procuring the entire paddy crop by government agencies.

Asserting that lakhs of tonnes of paddy would remain unprocured due to this “anti-farmer” decision, Badal alleged that the Channi government was following the “agenda” of the central government which wanted to curtail paddy purchase drastically.

He also slammed the government for failing to ensure a smooth supply of DAP (diammonium phosphate) fertilizer to the people, besides failing to stop its "black marketing." PTI CHS VSD RAX RAX