Non-payment of dues: Cane farmers protest

AMRITSAR : Hundred of farmers staged a dharna on Wednesday here at Ghuman road blocking the traffic for five hours over their demand of long pending dues from private sugar factories.

The farmers lifted their dharna after sub-divisional magistrate Rajesh Sharma assured them of getting their dues clear before ‘September 15’ but also threatened the administration of blocking traffic on Amritsar-Jalandhar national highway if their dues were not paid.

President of Kisan Sangarsh Committee Satnam Singh Pannu said, “We had staged a two-day long dharna outside Rana Sugar Mill in Butter village for their demand of clearing our ₹100 crore dues of sugarcane but the mill authorities did not pay any heed.”

He said Punjab sugarcane growers are to get their dues, in crores, from the sugarcane factories of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Amritsar.

“We will intensify our protest if the factories fail to pay our dues,” he said. Superintendent of police Sukhwant Kaur also appeased the farmers but of no use.

It was after sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Sharma reached there that the farmers pacified and the traffic was resumed.

Farmer leaders Sawinder Singh Thathikhara, Lakhwinder Singh Variyam Nangal were also present.

PUNJAB SUGARCANE GROWERS ARE TO GET THEIR DUES, IN CRORES, FROM THE SUGARCANE FACTORIES OF JALANDHAR, HOSHIARPUR, GURDASPUR, PATHANKOT AND AMRITSAR, THE PROTESTERS CLAIMED