Thursday, December 23 2004 17:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Admitting that politicians always faced the dilemma in pleasing both rural and urban population, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today (Dec 23, 2004) said a balance should be struck to ensure higher prices to cane growers while keeping the sugar prices low.

"It's a politician's dilemma, how can we plead for higher prices (for sugarcane) in rural areas and lower price (of sugar) in cities? But that's what politicians do," the lawyer-turned-politician said in a lighter vein.

Same situation emerges while determining the procurement price of wheat and rice, he said addressing the Indian Sugar Mills Association AGM in New Delhi.

Chidambaram, however, came up with a remedy for the politicians saying, "The way out is to strike a balance."

In this context, he said sugar millers need to increase efficiency while cane growers need to improve productivity.