Release payments of farmers' sugarcane dues: Jitin to Akhilesh

Jitin alleged that he sugar units of the district were exploiting the cane farmers denying them their dues

Union Minister Jitin Prasada has written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav demanding immediate payments of outstanding sugarcane dues of farmers.

In his letter, the Minister of State for Human Resources and Development alleged that the sugar units of the district were exploiting the cane farmers denying them their dues.

"In his letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Prasada elaborated how the sugar units were indulged in dilly dallying tactics in clearing the dues even of the last year cane season what to talk of the current season," Uttar Pradesh Congress committee member Rajiv Agnihotri said yesterday.

"Even in the current season the sugar mills have been unfair in distribution of cane slips to the farmers due to which they were unable to sell their crop at the mills," he added.

Agnihotri said that those were served these cane slips were exposed to short-weighing of their cane crop at the purchase centers.

He informed that Prasada has urged Akhilesh to intervene in the matter and sort out the grievances of the farmers.

The minister's action came in the backdrop of the mass agitation by the cane farmers once at the Gola sugar unit and again at the Pallia sugar unit where they resorted to fast unto death till the pending dues were cleared.