Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) president Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Tuesday flayed the Congress Government led by Capt Amarinder Singh for “ignoring” the demands of cane growers who are forced to continue their agitation.
Demanding that strict action against the defaulter sugar mills, Khaira demanded to ensure hand to hand payment of sugarcane arrears along with 10 per cent interest to the farmers who are already under stress due to debt.
Khaira said that Punjab Chief Minister had promised to pay the arrears of payment of cane growers for the last year and also committed to pay the difference of Rs 25 per quintal in the price of sugarcane announced by the State Government and agreed by the sugar mill owners.
“Chief Minister had announced that the State Government will pay Rs 25 per quintal on sugarcane to the farmers directly out of the state advised price (SAP) of Rs 310 per quintal, while remaining Rs 285 per quintal would be paid to them by the private sugar mills,” he pointed.
Khaira said that the cane growers were sitting on dharna in front of Dhuri, Phagwara and Bhogpur sugar mills as the Chief Minister had failed to fulfil his commitments leaving the farmers in lurch.
“Most of the nine private sugar mill owners are either directly Congress or SAD political leaders or the powerful mill owners exercise great influence on the Chief Minister, as they are great source of funding for the corrupt traditional parties of Akali Dal and Congress,” said Khaira adding that while Rana Gurjit Singh and the Chadha family of Kiri Afghana sugar mill are blue-eyed boys of Capt Amarinder, Jarnail Singh Wahad who owns the Phagwara sugar mill is a close aide of Sukhbir Badal.