The finance, parliamentary, excise and sugarcane minister Prakash Pant has said that the pending dues of sugarcane farmers would be cleared. The minister met a delegation of the sugarcane farmers at his office in Vidhan Sabha on Monday. In the meeting, Pant assured the delegation that the interests of the farmers are the priority of the state government.
In course of the meeting, the minister was apprised by the officials of the clearance of the payment of farmers for the last crushing season till April 2017.
It was said that the Utam sugar mill would clear the payment of new procurement of sugarcane this season by January 15 while the payment of Laksar sugar mill would be done by January 25.
The Minister said that a review of the payments would be done after January 25. In Iqbalpur sugar mill, the government has appointed a receiver who is keeping an eye on the sale of sugar stock so that the pending payment of sugarcane farmers is done.
Of the three private sugar mills in the state, a sum of Rs 42.76 crore of sugarcane farmers is pending on Laksar sugar mill for the last crushing season while pending payment of the last crushing season of Utam sugar mill amounts to Rs 44.85 crore. Besides, a payment of Rs 24.94 crore is due on Iqbalpur sugar mill.
In the meeting, sugarcane commissioner Lalit Rayal and additional secretary Pradeep Rawat were present.