Punjab cabinet hikes cane price by ₹10 per quintal
CHANDIGARH : The Punjab cabinet on Monday hiked the state advisory price (SAP) of sugarcane by ₹10 a quintal. The cabinet decided to increase SAP from ₹300 to ₹310 for the early variety, ₹290 to ₹300 for the mid-variety and ₹285 to ₹295 per quintal for the late variety of sugarcane.
CHANDIGARH:THE Punjab cabinet on Monday hiked the state advisory price (SAP) of sugarcane by ₹10 a quintal. The cabinet decided to increase SAP from ₹300 to ₹310 for the early variety, ₹290 to ₹300 for the mid-variety and ₹285 to ₹295 per quintal for the late variety of sugarcane.
The hike, in line with the increase given by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, is estimated to put an additional burden of ₹20 crore on the state exchequer.
SAP is fixed by the state governments before every crushing season, but is not mandatory support price.
The fair and remunerative price (FRP) is fixed by the centre, which is ₹230 per quintal. SAP can’t be lower than the FRP. State fixes SAP depending on the input cost and expected sugar from the cane.
A total of 675 lakh quintals of sugarcane is expected to arrive in the 16 sugar mills, including nine in cooperative and seven in the private sector.
The cabinet decision followed talks between the cabinet subcommittee headed by finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and representatives of sugarcane grower unions and associations across the state, who met at Kisan Bhawan here on Monday.
BILL TO REGULARISE PROPERTIES IN WALLED CITY, AMRITSAR
The cabinet okayed placement of the Amritsar Walled City (Recognition of Usage) Ordinance, 2017, before the Vidhan Sabha for enactment.
It provides for the applicants to submit details of violations in the walled city of Amritsar for one-time settlement by Jan 31, 2018.
FARMER EMPOWERMENT
The cabinet also decided to move a bill in the current session of the state assembly to set up a five-member commission for framing a policy to empower and grant legal rights to farmers. The commission, to be headed by a nominated chairperson holding the rank of a cabinet minister, will also be tasked with planning agriculture policies at district and block level. The commission would have powers to frame agriculture policies and other related matters referred to by the state government and will get a corpus of ₹25 crore initially and ₹5 crore for next five years as state grant.
BILL ON PTU COLLEGE AFFILIATION
The cabinet also gave nod to introducing a bill in the Vidhan Sabha to amend Sections 5 and 20 of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU) Act, to give MRSPTU colleges a one-time choice for affiliation. After this, colleges which come under the territorial jurisdiction of the MRSPTU would be able to choose between MRSPTU and IK Gujral PTU. The Cabinet has decided to bring in a draft “Punjab State Council for Agricultural Education Act 2017” bill in the assembly session for setting up Punjab State Council for Agricultural Education.
THE HIKE IS ESTIMATED TO PUT AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN OF ₹20 CRORE ON THE EXCHEQUER