The Nayagarh Aakhu Chasi Mahasangha, a federation of sugarcane cultivators, has warned to gherao the Assembly here in coming days if the State Government does not fulfil its demands, including immediate payment of arrear dues to cultivators and reopening of the Nayagarh sugar mill within 15 days.
In a memorandum to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Mahasangha president Bijay Kumar Nanda said the farmers have not received their dues for the cane supplied to the mill for a long period.
Nanda said, “With the closure of the Nayagarh sugar mill in 2012-13, payment amounting to Rs 64,51,213 of 319 sugarcane growers was pending in 2012-13. In 2013-14, payment of a total `4,32,35.773 of 2,167 cultivators was pending. later, 360 cheques amounting to `53,37, 638 were given to 355 cultivators. But they are yet to get the money,” Mahasangha secretary Chakradhar Jena pointed that the Nayagarh Sub-Collector had assured the cultivators that the company would pay the arrears by selling sugar in market.
Though the company has sold all the sugar, but the cultivators have not received a penny till yet. The other demands included resettlement of the sugar mill employees and loan and other facilities to sugarcane farmers for cultivation.
The body gave copies of the memorandum to the Agriculture Minister, Cooperation and Excise Minister, the law Minister, the Industries Minister and the Chief Secretary.