Lucknow: Sugarcane farmers went on rampage on Thursday in several districts of Western Uttar Pradesh against the pricing of the cash crop. Bhartiya Kisan Union activists protested in many cities and town of the state including Muzaffarnagar.
Rail and road traffic was badly hit due to the agitation. Even the BJP and BSP took up the sugarcane price issue to corner the Samajwadi Party government in the state Assembly.
The farmers are protesting against non-payment of their dues and sugar mills not starting crushing operations. They blocked NH-58 connecting Delhi to Dehradun and Muzaffarnagar-Panipat road.
The farmers also stopped the Delhi-Ambala Express and protested at Mansoorpur railway station.
They allege delay in sugarcane is rotting due to delay in crushing by sugar mills. They also claim that sugar mills have not paid them the dues relating to the year 2012 and the farmers have been facing severe financial problems due to this.
They are demanding that the price be scaled up to at least Rs 310 per quintal while the state government is paying Rs 280 per quintal.
BJP and BSP MLAs protested in the state Assembly on the first day of the winter session. While BSP MLAs shouted slogans against the Akhilesh Yadav government, BJP leaders agitated outside the sugarcane commissioner's office in Lucknow.
While some mills have decided to start sugarcane crushing but the operations can start only when farmers sell their produce.
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