Take coercive action against sugar mill owners:HC to officials

The Allahabad High Court today ordered that "coercive action" be taken against those sugar mill owners of Uttar Pradesh, by respective District Magistrates, who have failed to ensure payment of dues to sugarcane dues notwithstanding repeated orders.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Suneet Kumar passed the order in the course of hearing on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, whereby the court's attention was drawn towards the plight of sugarcane farmers in the state.
The court passed the order following submissions by the District Magistrates of Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Kasganj, Pilibhit, Bahraich, Maharajganj and Badaun that the process of realizing dues from sugar mill owners in these districts has been initiated and that so far a total recovery of Rs 173 crore has been made.

The submissions were made in response to the court's show cause notice issued on February 3 when it had asked the DMs to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for failure to ensure payment of dues to farmers despite orders issued last year.
The DMs also assured the court that recovery of the remaining amount would be made "as soon as possible".
The court, while directing the officials to take "coercive action" against those mill owners who appeared recalcitrant, fixed March 24 as the next date of hearing in the matter.