The Allahabad high court on Friday directed the state government to ensure that payment of sugarcane dues be made to farmers through district magistrates across the state on or before October 31, 2014. The court for this purpose directed the DMs concerned to verify sugar stocks of mills in their respective districts and ensure their sale so that payments could be made to farmers.

Disposing of a PIL filed by Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Sangthan seeking payment of sugarcane dues to farmers, a division bench comprising chief justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Dilip Gupta made it clear that if sugar mills were not cooperating in selling the sugarcane stocks then the DMs have the right to take legal action against them. The court further saidthat it was the DM's du ty under law to ensure payment of arrears to farmers.

In the PIL, the petitioner has alleged that payment to sugarcane farmers was not made for the crushing season 2013-14. It was said it was the legal duty of the state govern ment to ensure payment to farmers for their sugarcane.The PIL alleges that due to non-payment of dues, several farmers had committed suicide. About 95 private mills are yet to clear payments worth Rs 5,000 crore to farmers. In earlier hearings, the HC had come heavily on both the state and sugar mills for failing to settle arrears.