Chandigarh, Aug 23 (IANS) The talks between the government and protesting farmers in Punjab remained inconclusive on the second day on Monday as the latter demanded that the state bring the state assured price (SAP) of sugarcane on a par with neighbouring Haryana at Rs 358 per quintal, the highest in the country.
In the meeting, the government claimed that the production cost should be Rs 350 per quintal, while the farmers pegged it at Rs 392.
The farmers have been on agitation since August 20 by blocking the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Jalandhar, along with the rail tracks, over their demand for raising the SAP of sugarcane. They have already rejected the hike of Rs 15 per quintal announced by the government last week.
The farmers threatened to block all highways, if their demands were not accepted.
Officials told IANS that a meeting of farm leaders with an expert committee was held and couldn’t arrive at any conclusion.
Now a meeting with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will be held on Tuesday.
State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu came out openly in support of the protesting farmers and targetted his state government by saying Punjab is offering low assured price compared to what it is offered by Haryana and other states.
“The sugarcane farmers issue needs to be immediately resolved amicably Strange that despite the higher cost of cultivation in Punjab the state assured price is too low as compared to Haryana, UP, Uttarakhand. As a torchbearer of agriculture, the Punjab SAP should be better!” Sidhu said in a tweet.
–IANS
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