UP sugar mills to face police complaints if they don't pay farmers arrears

The Uttar Pradesh government has warned private sugar mills it will file police complaints against them and seize properties if they fail to pay farmers for their produce.

Mills owe farmers at least Rs 9,000 crore after end of the crushing season, prompting sugarcane commissioner Sanjay Bhoosreddy to recently ask private companies to ensure immediate payments. So far, more than 71% of total dues had been settled by mills.

The state government has now warned mills they will be booked in police complaints called first information reports (FIR) and get recovery certificates (RC), which authorises a district administration to seize plant and