UP orders sugar mills to pay Rs.1,44,852 lakh arrears

The Uttar Pradesh government Monday cracked the whip on private sugar mills that have not cleared arrears to the tune of Rs.1,44,852.62 lakh and have not paid the dues of sugarcane farmers.

Following a meeting of cane growers with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the government issued recovery certificates against 13 private sugar mills.

These include the Triveni group in Muzaffarnagar, Mawana sugar mill in Meerut, Modi group in Baghpat, Uttam group, Bajaj group sugar mills in Lakhimpur Kheri and Muzaffarnagar, Simbhavali group in Hapur, Wave group in Bijnore, Dhampur group in Muzaffarnagar, Rana group in Moradabad, Sahara group's mill in Hardoi, Yad sugar mill in Kasganj and Oon Sugar group's mill.

A state government spokesman said after the issue of recovery certificates, the state would also follow up on the matter and take all necessary steps.

He said the government was committed to safeguarding interests of the sugarcane growers and that in the past, 31 FIRs have been lodged against private sugar mill owners.

After the probe, action would be initiated as per rules, the spokesman said.

The ruling Samajwadi Party took a huge drubbing in the sugarcane belt of western Uttar Pradesh, as the BJP won all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the region.

Monday's decision is being viewed in political circles as a reaction to the electoral losses.

"The BJP-led government has already taken a lead in this direction by forming a committee of union ministers and the state government has a record of not being able to implement its orders, so we are not enthused by this development," said state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak.