Cane farmers hold sit-in, seek release of ₹436-crore arrears
Over 100 growers are on a warpath against government
GURDASPUR : Over 100 sugarcane farmers in the district have been sitting outside the deputy commissioner's office here since February 20, demanding release of arrears and increase in minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.
Farmers under seven kisan unions--kirti Kisan Union,punjab Kisan Union, Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, All India Kisan Sabha, All India Kisan Sabha (Ekta), Bharti Kisan Union and Pagri Sambhal Jatta Lehar-- have been sitting on a dharna for the past 18 days pressing for their several demands.
They have been demanding to clear arrears worth ₹350 crore from private sugar mills and ₹86 crore from the state cooperative sugar mills.their buffer crop this season is also causing trouble as the mills have bonded to purchase only a part of the total production.
Kirti Kisan Union vice president Satbir Singh on Sunday said that the Punjab government under its policy of diversification of traditional crop-cycle of growing wheat and paddy to save ground water had advised farmers to cultivate other crops, including sugarcane. The farmers acting upon the government’s advice grew sugarcane on 94,000 acres of land in Punjab.now the farmers have surplus produce but the government has failed to make arrangements for its procurement by private and cooperative sugar mills,satbir added.
The kisan leader also complained that the sugarcane growers have been getting MSP of ₹310 per quintal for the last four years while the cost of production of the crop has increased.
Satbir said that the private sugar mills have more crushing capacity than that of the cooperative mills, but the private mills are purchasing crop grown only in their surrounding areas. “The crop grown in the jurisdiction of cooperative mills is above their crushing limit. The farmers have no idea where they should sell their crop,”said Satbir.
He expressed unhappiness over delay in crushing season. The crop crushing usually begins in November, but this season it started a month later in December, he said.
Satbir demanded that the total crop of sugarcane be purchased by either private or cooperative sugarmills.
He also warned that if the government does not accede to their demands,they will intensify their stir.
Gurdaspur deputy commissioner Vipul Ujwal said that he is in touch with the agitating farmers and most of their demands, including bonding of their crops by the nearest mills, have already been resolved and others, including release of their pending payments will also be resolved soon.
SAY PRIVATE SUGAR MILLS HAVE MORE CRUSHING CAPACITY THAN THE COOPERATIVE MILLS, BUT THESE
MILLS ARE PURCHASING CROP GROWN IN
THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS ONLY