Maha cane cultivators protest over non-payment by mills

Thousands of sugarcane cultivators Monday carried out a protest march to the Maharashtra Sugar Commissionerate in Pune demanding fair and remunerative price and clearance of dues by sugar mills.

The protest, led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and Lok Sabha MP Raju Shetti, started from Alka Chowk.

A delegation led by Shetti submitted a memorandum to the state Sugar Commissioner seeking action against those mills that had not yet given cane cultivators their dues.

"There are total 191 sugar factories in the state and barring 11 of them, 180 have not paid FRP to farmers. These dues come to around Rs 5,300 crore," Shetti told reporters.

"The Chief Minister (Devendra Fadanvis) had said cane farmers should get FRP plus Rs 200 and that the government will do everything to clear the dues. However, till date, no dues have been cleared by the sugar mills," he added.

He said these dues were pending even after 90 days had passed since cane-cutting, despite the Sugarcane Act laying down that farmers should be paid within 14 days of the cane-cutting.

He added that failure on the part of sugar mills can lead to prosecution under the Revenue Recovery Act.

"We demand the government seize sugar from these mills and auction it in order to clear the dues of cultivators," Shetti said.

He said the agitation would continue till the Sugar Commissioner issues a written order to this effect.

Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav also took part in the protest.