Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Growers’ Association has sought setting up of an enquiry commission to probe into various irregularities reportedly taken place in the National Cooperative Sugar Mills in Alanganallur.
Members of the association staged a demonstration in front of the mill on Tuesday pressing for a charter of demands including immediate distribution of long pending dues to the tune of RS. 12 crore to the farmers for having supplied cane to the mill.
Besides Rs.450 additional procurement price for a tonne of cane, the mill needs to give its share to farmers from the profit the mill had made in 2009, the association president, N. Palanisamy, said.
Stating that only 35 to 40 tonnes of cane could be grown in one acre of land, he, however, alleged that the records in the mill showed that some farmers had supplied up to 70 tonnes of cane from one acre of farm land.
Mr. Palanisamy also complained that exorbitant quantity of petrol loss due to evaporation had been reported in the fuel station on the mill premises.
While the mill had resolved asking the building contractor to use generators for his construction purpose, Mr. Palanisamy said that the contractor was illegally drawing power from the mill.
Similarly, tress worth several lakhs had been cut on the mill premises, he said.
The association members would stage a protest in front of the Collectorate on September 3, he said.
The association district functionaries K. Kathiresan and S.P. Ilangovan, were among those who took part in the protest.
