<h1>Punjab hikes sugarcane price to Rs 416, boosts cooperative mill capacity and power co-generation revenue</h1> Punjab's state government has administratively increased the state advised price for sugarcane by Rs 15 to Rs 416 per quintal for the upcoming crushing season, making it the highest in India and reinforcing its longstanding policy of offering maximum cane prices. Concurrently, the government has modernized and expanded a cooperative sugar mill's capacity to 5,000 TCD and commissioned a 28.5 MW co-generation power plant, expected to supply surplus power and generate about Rs 20 crore in seasonal revenue, strengthening the mill's financial position. These measures aim to legally and economically support sugarcane growers, promote crop diversification, reduce farmers' dependence on private mills, and bolster the cooperative sector, while the Chief Minister also asserted the state's rights over Chandigarh and Panjab University.