: DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin on Wednesday urged the State government to pay the arrears due to sugarcane farmers who have already launched an agitation to highlight their demand.
In a statement here, he said the farmers’ claim was that government co-operative sugar mills had run up arrears to the tune of Rs. 350 crore and private sugar mills Rs. 1,650 crore.
“Even though the price of sugar in the international market had gone up to Rs. 38,000 per tonne, the sugar mills are not ready to pay the money to farmers. There is a justification in the allegation of sugarcane farmers that the AIADMK government is remaining silent instead of directing sugar mills to pay the arrears,” he said.