Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, referring to the issue of payment of sugarcane arrears to the cane growers, said that the total outstanding arrears towards cooperative sugar mills was `540 crore, of which `210 crore and `240 crore has been paid by the cooperative sugar mills and Government respectively.
“The balance amount of `90 crore would be made by the State Government next month,” he said.
He pointed that the total amount of outstanding arrears towards the private sugar mills was `1,123 crore, out of which payment to the tune of `900 crore has been made and the remainder `223 crore was still to be paid to the farmers.
Badal said that the case regarding the payment of sugarcane arrears was
pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the next date of hearing was fixed on September 10, 2015, in this case.
On whether the State Government would seek
one-time bailout package from the Centre for the
survival of sugar industry, Badal said that the Punjab Government has already taken up this matter with the centre so as to ensure a level playing field to all the
stakeholders of sugar
industry including sugarcane growers, private mill
owners and cooperative sugar mills.
The State Agriculture Minister, Tota Singh has already shot off a letter to the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in this behalf, he said.