Two months on, cane growers yet to get Rs104 crore

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 15

The state government is yet to release an amount of Rs 104.89 crore to sugarcane farmers ever after the end of the crushing season more than two months ago.

Sources in the department said that all 10 sugar mills of the state government had purchased 294.98 quintals of sugarcane worth Rs 906.75 crore during the recent crushing season which concluded in April. Out of the total payment, the authorities had released Rs 801.86 crore, but the remaining Rs 104.89 crore was yet to be given to the farmers, they added.

Under Section 3-A of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966, the payment has to be made for the sugarcane purchased within 14 days.

“Farmers are losing interests in sugarcane due to delay in getting payment. We are planning to launch an agitation if the government fails to release the pending payment,” said Bhura Ram, state general secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.

Rohtak sugar mill has the highest outstanding amount of Rs 22.68 crore, Meham Rs 18.13 crore, Panipat Rs 16.94 crore, Palwal Rs 13.07 crore, Jind Rs 11.92 crore, Shahbad Rs 7.75 crore, Kaithal Rs 6.10 crore, Sonepat Rs 3.88 crore, Gohana Rs 2.44 crore and Karnal Rs 1.93 crore.