Chandigarh, Oct. 30 -- Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday termed the Haryana government's decision to increase sugarcane prices by "just Rs 15 per quintal" a "cruel joke" on farmers, alleging that the 3 per cent hike was inadequate amid rising inflation.
Presenting figures to compare the BJP and Congress governments, Hooda said sugarcane prices increased from Rs 117 to Rs 310 per quintal during the Congress government's nine-and-a-half-year tenure from 2005 to 2014, registering a rise of Rs 193, or 165 per cent. This amounted to an average annual increase of around 18.3 per cent.
In comparison, during the BJP's 12 years in power, sugarcane prices rose by Rs 120, from Rs 310 to Rs 430 per quintal, an increase of 39 per cent or an annual average of around 3.25 per cent. He claimed the Congress government's increase was six times higher.
Hooda also criticised the BJP for raising wheat MSP by only Rs 25, or
25 paise per kg, while input costs continued to rise. He said petrol, diesel, fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, agricultural equipment and labour had become expensive, putting farmers under pressure.
Citing 2006-07, he said the Congress government had raised wheat procurement prices from Rs 600 to Rs 850 per quintal and given an additional bonus of Rs 100. He claimed crop prices increased by 14-15 per cent annually under Congress, against 5 per cent under the BJP.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.