Umesh Kumar playing in hands of ruling party: Cong
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 27 Oct: Pradesh Congress vice-president Rajeev Maharshi today has strongly rejected the allegations made by Independent MLA Umesh Sharma that the Congress did not stand with sugarcane farmers. In a statement issued today on behalf of the party, he claimed that, if any government genuinely cares for the welfare of farmers, it is only a Congress government. Rajeev Maharshi said that independent MLA Umesh Sharma should instead ask the ruling party what it has done for farmers during its 10-year tenure. He said Sharma’s statement reflect his mindset, and by questioning the Congress, it has become clear that he is dancing to the tunes of the ruling party.
Maharshi said that the Congress-led Central Government under Dr Manmohan Singh had waived farm loans worth Rs 71,680 crores, while after the formation of Uttarakhand, the two Congress governments in the state took several important decisions concerning sugarcane farmers, sugar mills and the development of sugarcane-producing areas.
He said that the Congress party’s first term in Uttarakhand, from 2002 to 2007, was led by Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari, while its second term, from 2012 to 2017, saw Congress governments under Chief Ministers Vijay Bahuguna and Harish Rawat. Maharshi said the achievements of these terms can primarily be assessed on the basis of the support price for sugarcane, payment of dues to farmers, operation of sugar mills, the cooperative sugar industry and the facilities provided to sugarcane-producing farmers.
He added that during the Congress government’s first term from 2002 to 2007, the Narayan Dutt Tiwari government had introduced the State Advised Price mechanism to determine sugarcane prices and ensure that farmers received a remunerative rate for their produce. The government also extended support for the operation of cooperative sugar mills, including those at Bazpur, Kichha and Nadehi, and facilitated their functioning through government assistance. Under the sugarcane development programme, efforts were made to promote improved seeds, enhance productivity and expand the activities of sugarcane development committees in sugarcane-producing areas. The government also put in place arrangements to ensure that sugar mills made timely payments to farmers for sugarcane.
Maharshi said that during the Congress government’s second term from 2012 to 2017, there is documentary evidence of several decisions taken in the interest of sugarcane farmers. He said the support price of sugarcane was increased by nearly 15 per cent. In 2012-13, the Congress government raised the State Advised Price of sugarcane from Rs 250 per quintal to Rs 285 per quintal, resulting in an increase of Rs 35 per quintal, which amounted to nearly 15 per cent. He said a higher sugarcane price was fixed than in Uttar Pradesh, and in 2013-14 the Congress government fixed the price of sugarcane at Rs 285 per quintal, which was Rs 5 more than the Rs 280 per quintal fixed in Uttar Pradesh.
Maharshi further said that during the Congress rule, a decision was taken to provide financial assistance to sugar mills. In December 2013, the state government took strict measures to extend financial support to sugar mills and ensure timely payment to farmers. In January 2014, the then
In January 2015, the government led by then Chief Minister Harish Rawat took important decisions regarding sugarcane payments, under which sugar mills were required to make the first payment of Rs 240 per quintal within 14 days of sugarcane purchase.
