Sidhu said that sugarcane farmers issue needs to be immediately resolved amicably
In yet another sign of growing dissidence in Punjab Congress ranks, party's state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has slammed the Amarinder Singh government over poor prices for sugarcane and hailed the BJP-ruled Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for higher prices for sugarcane.
"The sugarcane farmers issue needs to be immediately resolved amicably... Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana/ UP/ Uttarakhand. As a torchbearer of agriculture, the Punjab SAP should be better," Sidhu tweeted.
The ruling BJP in Haryana used Sidhu's tweet to attack Congress. The party said that truth cannot be suppressed and went on to compare the price sugarcane farmers are getting in Punjab and Haryana.
"The rate of sugarcane in Haryana is Rs 350 per quintal, while in Punjab recently it is Rs 325 despite an increase of Rs 15," the party tweeted.
Sidhu's tweet came at a time when sugarcane farmers in Punjab are protesting for a hike in crop prices.
Farmers have expressed disappointment over the state government's decision to increase sugarcane’s state agreed price (SAP) from Rs 310 to Rs 325 without taking them into confidence. Farmers are demanding from the government to increase the price to Rs 400 per quintal and clear their pending dues.
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