Sugarcane pricing row: Rahul Gandhi meets PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi that the government would suitably amend the ordinance regarding fair and remunerative pricing (FRP) system on sugarcane if it is in the interest of farmers.

Rahul Gandhi met the prime minister here Thursday to convey the sentiments of sugarcane growers of Uttar Pradesh amid efforts by a combined opposition to put the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the dock over its ordinance.

"The prime minister has assured him that the centre will look into the matter again and suitably amend the ordinance if it is in the interest of farmers," said a Congress statement issued by party general secretary Digvijay Singh.

The party also assured sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh that the UPA government would "ensure highest possible sugar cane price in the present context".

The Congress reminded the opposition parties, who organised a protest here at the start of winter session of parliament Thursday, that sugarcane arrears were paid to farmers in Uttar Pradesh at the initiative of Rahul Gandhi.

The party also asserted that it had not lagged behind other parties in taking up the concerns of Uttar Pradesh farmers and had taken up the matter first with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who assured that it will not harm interests of farmers.

It said that a delegation of sugarcane growers led by Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna and Digvijay Singh met Pawar after the ordinance was issued by the government and requested him to reconsider it in view of the strong protest by sugarcane growers in Uttar Pradesh.

"Mr Pawar explained the reasons behind the ordinance and assured the delegation that in no way will it affect the price to be paid to farmers by sugar mills. Each sugar mill would have to negotiate an optimum price with farmers in view of the prevailing high prices of sugar in the open market and assured that farmers would not get anything below Rs.180 per quintal in Uttar Pradesh," the statement said.

Asserting that it had always been sensitive to the issues of farmers, the party said that protest of farmers backed by some political parties was "political" and appealed to sugarcane growers of Uttar Pradesh to have faith in pro-farmer policies of the UPA government.

Last updated on Nov 19^th, 2009 at 20:43 pm IST--IANS