Farmers resent delay in payment of dues by ACSIL

Discontentment is brewing among the sugarcane growers in Ganjam district in south Odisha as they are yet to get their dues from the state-run Aska Cooperative Sugar Industries Limited (ACSIL), even after one and half months of end of crushing season in April.

The sugar factory owes dues of Rs 12-crore to the farmers.

"The farmers, who supplied sugarcane to the factory, have not received their payments from March 15. They are facing difficulties as they are dependent on this earning," said general secretary, Ganjam District Sugarcane Growers' Association (GDSGA), Samira Pradhan.

The sugarcane growers in the district would be forced to hit the street, if the factory authorities make further delay in payment, he warned and said, such incidents will discourage the farmers to grow sugarcane in future.

ACSIL management, however, said, the dues are likely to be clear in a week. The state-owned Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) has sanctioned a loan of Rs 25-crore to ACSIL. The bank had provided Rs 15-crore, which was disbursed to the farmers earlier.

"We will get another Rs 10-core from the bank. As soon as the amount is received, we will pay the farmers," said Trilochan Majhi, managing director of ACSIL. The factory would bear the rest Rs 2-crore required to clear the dues of farmers from its own fund.

The factory had crushed around 1.90 lakh tonnes sugar in 2012-13 crushing season as against previous year's 1.88 lakh tonnes. Around 1.46 lakh quintals of sugar were produced this year till the end of plant operation on April 30.

The farmers had supplied sugarcane to the factory at the rate of Rs 2,210 per metric tonne.

ACSIL had incurred around Rs 20-crore loan from the OSCB last year to tide over the paucity of funds to pay the farmers. It, however, has cleared the last year's loan, sources said.