VK Singh backs farmers' body opposing sugar decontrol

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Former Army Chief V.K. Singh on Friday backed a farmers body's demand for rejection of the Rangarajan Committee report on freeing the sugar sector and threatened to gherao Parliament next month if it is not met.

Addressing a press conference along with V.M. Singh, convenor of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (RKMS), Singh said the committee's recommendation on doing away with State Advisory Price (SAP) and cane reservation area will adversely affect the farmers of northern states.

He said the revenue sharing formula suggested by the committee is not fair and does not provide a level-playing field to northern states, where sugar recovery is below 9 per cent. But the panel suggests 70 per cent revenue be paid based on an average 10.31 per cent recovery of sugar.

Singh demanded that the Centre should not fix fair and remunerative price (FRP) and current system of SAP and cane area reservation should continue. He said the farmers' body has no objection to other recommendations of the panel.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, both V.K. Singh and V.M. Singh said, "In case the report is not rejected, canegrowers of northern states would gherao Parliament on December 4 as a protest against the said report."

Asked whether he supports the call for a gherao of Parliament, the former Army Chief said, "I am endorsing a call which is in the interest of farmers."

On joining the agitation next month, he said, "We will cross the bridge when we reach there.....Whether that situation will come or not, we will see. I am quite sure the Prime Minister is competent enough to relook at the report."

Singh further said that he will support all those who work in the interest of the country. He was responding to a query about his presence at platforms led by Anna Hazare and Ramdev endorsing different issues.

He clarified that he has not yet decided on contesting elections. "Good people should enter Parliament. But I have not thought about myself yet."