Farmer organisations in Maharashtra are up in arms over the issue of pending Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) payments to farmers. Farmer body Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana claims that several sugar mills have allegedly submitted false reports to the Sugar Commissionerate stating that full FRP payments have been made to farmers for the last season while in reality several farmers are yet to receive the money. Farmer leader Raju Shetti, president, SSS on Monday, met Maharashtra Sugar Commissioner Sambhaji Kadu Patil seeking details of FRP payments for 2017-18 season. The meeting turned out to be stormy with Shetti exchanging words with the chairman of Bhairavnath Sugar Works on the payment of FRP.
According to Shetti, during his tour in Ahmednagar and Osmanabad regions of Maharashtra, several farmers have come forward with complaints that they were yet to receive some of the payments for the previous season. “Some of the mills have not made payments for second or third installments and farmers were now coming forward and talking about this,” he said.
Shetti’s telephonic chat with Tanaji Sawant, Shiv Sena MLA and chairman of Bhairavnath Sugar Works saw a heated exchange of words with Shetti accusing him of not making complete FRP payments to farmers. SSS members sought action against the factory that obtained a crushing license for the sugar season of 2018-19 after submitting a fake report that about payments made to farmers. Yogesh Pande, spokesperson for the Sanghatana said, “we have started gathering details of how many farmers have actually been paid by mills and have sought action against erring mills.”