M A I N   N E W S

Mayawati meets PM over cane price
Panel to look into issue
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 27
Amid a deepening chasm between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the latter today met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the top state BJP leadership, but Ms Mayawati claimed that the current political situation was not discussed at the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani, UP Urban Development Minister Lalji Tandon, state BJP in charge Kalraj Mishra, state party president Vinay Katiyar and a couple of Members of Parliament from the state were present at the meeting held in the Prime Minister’s residence.

In a terse statement made to reporters after the meeting, Ms Mayawati denied that the meeting was called to discuss the political situation in the state and asserted that “no discussion on political issues took place”.

She maintained that the meeting had been called to discuss the problems of sugarcane growers in the state.

The Prime Minister decided to constitute a four-member committee to look into the problems of sugarcane growers, particularly from Uttar Pradesh who are not getting even the state advisory price. Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Yadav, Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh, Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley and Uttar Pradesh Cane Development Minister Premlata Katiyar and sugar industry representatives will be members of the committee, which will also meet sugar millers to sort out the issue of payment to farmers.

The problems of sugarcane farmers turned into a major controversy after the sugar millers refused to pay the state advisory prices ranging between Rs 95 and 100 per quintal.

Mr Sharad Yadav said he would convene the proposed committee shortly. He said the sugar industry was passing through a “crisis” and the committee would try to find a solution to it.

Asked whether the Centre was likely to consider empowering the states to fix the SMP, Mr Yadav said, “It is a tedious process which may take more than a year. Our immediate priority is to provide remunerative prices to the farmers this year.”

UP BJP leaders Katiyar and Mishra said the meeting expressed its determination to provide Rs 95 per quintal to farmers along with their dues as they were already burdened with increased fertiliser and diesel prices.