BJP, Congress walk out of Assembly over non-payment to cane farmers in Uttar Pradesh

Staging a walkout from the Assembly proceedings, BJP and Congress members on Wednesday alleged that the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh was not serious about clearing the pending payments of the cane farmers.

The issue was raised during the Question Hour by members of Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, who sought state government's response over the non-payment of dues to cane farmers by them and also the sugar mills.

Responding in the matter, state minister Ram Karan Arya told the House that the total amount pending for the year 2013-14 was Rs 19,388.17 crores of which nearly 97% has been paid by the government while the remaining has to be paid by private mills.

"While the government has made nearly 97% (Rs 18,747.93 crores) of the payment, the remaining balance of Rs 640.24 crores was on the sugar mills to pay", Arya said and added that the government would ensure then pending dues to the farmers are cleared.

"In 2013-14, 119 sugar mills had done crushing out of which eighty-four co-operative and private mills have made 100% payments to cane farmers," the minister said.

"FIRs have been lodged against the remaining sugar mill operators and recovery certificates have been issued in the same regard," he added. However, the Opposition members insisted on a time-bound plan for the payments even as they jumped into the Well of the House terming the government as "Kisaan virodhi sarkar" (This is an anti-farmer government).