KOLHAPUR: Rayat Kranti Sanghatana — the newly formed organisation of farmers belonging to minister of state for agriculture Sadabhau Khot — has demanded that sugar factories should pay all pending dues of last year's sugarcane crushing season.

The organisation has threatened to launch an agitation and has stated that farmers will not allow the factories to start this year's crushing season if they fail to clear the dues.

 

Addressing a press conference, leader of the party Suresh Patil said, "After declaring the rate of sugarcane per tonne, the sugar factories pay farmers their dues in three installments. We have noticed that they pay the first installment which is more than 80% of the total amount after the crushing season, while the other two installments are delayed. We have warned the factories to ensure that they pay all the remaining dues before starting this year's crushing. We will not allow the factories to start crushing this year if they do not make the payment."

 

He added, "We have also demanded that all sugarcane factories in the state should have electronic weighing machines to note down the actual weight of sugarcane brought by the farmer for crushing instead of traditional weighing machines. We hope that state government will take up the issue on priority basis and ask sugar factories to make the changes accordingly."

Addressing a gathering while launching the organisation in September, Khot had stated that his party will fight for the cause of farmers besides deciding the per tonne rate for the sugarcane.

 

He has already declared that the farmers should get Rs 300 more than the FRP decided by the state government for this crushing season.