Legislators across party lines on Tuesday expressed concern over fall in sugar prices and the crisis in sugarcane industries and demanded that Maharashtra government should come up with a comprehensive package.
Dissatisfied with the reply of Cooperation Minister Chandrakant Patil, who did not agree to keep the Call Attention Motion in the state Assembly on hold, the Opposition Congress and NCP members staged a walkout from the House. Patil earlier assured the agitated members that he would discuss the issue with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and soon an all-party delegation would go to Delhi to meet the Central leadership and concerned ministers.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said most of the sugar factory owners were not paying as per the Fair Remunerative Prices (FRP) and therefore, criminal offences should be registered against them. Pawar went on to name sugar factories owned by state Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde, Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse and Speaker Haribhau Bagde.
Since Munde was present in the House, she immediately got up to clarify that it was becoming impossible for the sugar factory owners to pay as per the FRP. Bagde and Khadse were not in the House.
Former Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil said the fall in sugar prices was due to faulty import-export policy of the government. The sugarcane growers were in distress and there was an urgent need to save them from the crisis. If the government was short of funds, it could take loan to overcome the crisis, he said.
The minister informed the House that the sugarcane industry has been facing crisis for the third consecutive year and the government has waived purchase tax to the tune of Rs 875 crore. Dissatisfied with the reply, the opposition Congress and NCP members then walked out of the House.
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