Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday demanded that the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Government should immediately release the pending balance amount to the sugarcane growers in the State.
“The Government should release the balance amount worth crores outstanding against the sugar mill owners for a long time,” said AAP MLA and the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema.
Cheema maintained that in Doaba region, out of the seven leading sugar mills, two were run on a cooperative basis and the rest five were owned by certain political bigwigs in the Congress and Akali Dal.
He alleged that they were running “dubious” trade in league with one another. “Their modus operandi is simple as they procured the produce but made no payment to the farmer growers, leaving the harried lot with no choice but to sell their produce at a cheaper rate of Rs 200 per quintal,” he said.
Cheema said that as per rules, 15 days after procuring of the produce and issuance of slip, the amount should reach the sugarcane grower. Throwing the standard norm to the winds, the Government had been looting the farmers, leaving them rue and rant, he alleged.