Sugarcane growers hold protest in Mukerian as mills stall crushing
(MUKERIAN) HOSHIARPUR: As sugar mills failed to start crushing operations on December 1, as promised by the state government, cane growers resumed their agitation on Sunday.
They parked their stock-laden tractor trailers on the road outside the Indian Sucrose Mill and sat on a dharna. The protesters said they will move their vehicles only when they will be allowed entry inside the mill premises.
The day-long blockade was lifted when the Mukerian tehsildar assured them that the chief minister had called a meeting of all sugar mill owners on Monday to take a call on the issue. The farmers, however, gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the government.
The sugarcane growers are demanding immediate lifting of their crop as delayed harvesting of cane is delaying wheat sowing. They are also demanding pending dues, which run into several crores, and a rise in purchase price.
Farmers from across the state had held a massive protest on November 17 and 18 during which they had blocked the JalandharPathankot national highway and railway tracks in Dasuya, disrupting road and rail services.
A member of farmers’ outfit ‘Pagri Sambhal Jatta’, Gurpartap Singh, said the agitation was, then, suspended on government’s assurance that sugar mills will start cane crushing on December 1 but once again the promise proved to be a hoax.
“Farmers arrived with their harvest hoping the same would be received by the sugar mills but the latter refused to take it, stating their own issues with the government were not settled yet. Once again the growers have been left high and dry,” he added.
“The chief minister seems least bothered about the peasants or he must have done something by now to bail them out,” he said. He also accused the sugar mill owners of exploitation.
“We are lifting the blockade but tractor trailers will remain lined up along the road. We will wait till Monday evening and if by then the mill does not start, we will resume the agitation,” he added.
In Dasuya too, farmers held a protest outside the AB Sugar Mill and threatened to dump the cane on the highway if their demands were not met by 3pm on Monday.