Start crushing in a week or will join growers’ stir: Bajwa to govt
Rajya Sabha MP and former state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday threatened to join the protesting sugarcane growers if the private mills do not start crushing of cane within a week.
Crushing of cane has not started despite the fact that the season began a month back and the farmers are waiting for the mills to open.
“If things are not settled within a week I will sit with the farmers on protest. There are a large number of cane growers in Gurdaspur and the surrounding area which I represent. Therefore, I am left with no option but to support them.
“Crushing has already been delayed by over a month. Normally, it starts in October. Farmers need money. There are queues of tractor-trailers loaded with sugarcane outside the mills. This speaks volumes about the sorry state of affairs,” he said.
There are seven private sugar mills which crush 70% of sugar cane produced in the state and rest by the nine mills in the cooperative sector. Farmers are expecting bumper crop this season.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has formed a committee under the chief secretary to give report after discussions with private sugar mill owners.
Additional chief secretary (development) Vishavjeet Khanna, who is a member of the committee, said they held talks with the mills owners but did not reach at a consensus. They will arrive at a decision by Wednesday, he added.