With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls just around 10 months away, chief ministerAkhilesh Yadav, in a move to keep cane farmers in good humour, has upped the ante against sugar mills that have been dilly-dallying over paying cane dues to farmers despite repeated reminders.
State cane commissioner Vipin Kumar Dwivedi has ordered FIRs against three mills of Bajaj Sugar under Section 3/7 of the Essential Commodities Act and Section 420 (B) and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code. All these mills — Gola, Khambar Kher and Palia — are located in Lakhimpur district.
Speaking to FE, the cane commissioner said while the law states cane payment must be made within 14 days of procuring the crop from farmers, some sugar mills were showing utmost laxity in clearing their dues.
As per data available till April 12, Bajaj Sugar’s Gola factory had purchased sugarcane worth Rs 363.03 crore, and made payment of Rs 130.97 crore, which was 44.05% of the total.
Palia had purchased cane worth Rs 281.62 crore and made payment of Rs 96.60 crore, which was 41.18% of the total. Khambar Kher’s total dues were Rs 275.35 crore and it paid only Rs 88.40 crore.
“The government is very serious about getting farmers’ payment done on time, as this season has been a relatively better one for sugarcane. While on one hand, sugar prices have increased, recovery of sugar mills have also gone up, thereby facilitating timely payment of cane dues. Yet, some mills are not paying the dues,” Dwivedi said.
Millers were directed to pay up at least 80% of their dues to farmers by April 25. “Principal secretary (sugar) Rahul Bhatnagar will meet representatives of all the sugar mills which have paid less than 80% of their dues on April 25. They will be told to pay, or the state government will be forced to penalise them by filing FIRs and issuing recovery certificates (RCs) against them,” said Dwivedi.
Of 116 sugar mills that operated in the current sugar season, 46 have paid below the 80% limit set by the state government. “Around 10-12 mills have paid above 70%. We are trying to tell them to pay up and come above that bar. The remaining 30-odd mills will have to face the flak,” he said.
Cane farmers constitute a considerable vote bank in Uttar Pradesh and it is a challenge for every government to keep them happy. The Akhilesh government too, does not want sugarcane dues to become an election issue.