Unpaid dues may affect BJP’s prospects in Karnal, Kurukshetra

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 5

Nearly 3,800 farmers of Karnal, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar districts are waiting for their pending dues of more than Rs100 crore for the sugarcane they had sold in Piccadily sugar mill in Bhadson village around three months ago.

The unpaid dues of the farmers of 224 villages may affect the prospects of the ruling BJP at two Parliamentary constituencies — Karnal and Kurukshetra — in the Lok Sabha elections, as these villages fall under both constituencies. “We have been waiting for our dues of more than Rs100 crore for the last three months. We have approached the management of the mill as well as the government. No dues have been paid to us so far,” said Rampal Chahal, president, Ganna Sangharsh Samiti, Bhadson.

Gurnam Singh, a farmer of Umri village in Kurukshetra, said he had sold sugarcane of around 40 acre land and an amount of Rs36 lakh was pending with the mill. Another farmer, Gurpal Singh from Amin village, said his Rs9.5 lakh was pending with the mill and he had tried a lot to get his dues, but failed. “If our dues are not cleared, farmers have no option but to go on strike,” he said.

Karam Singh, cane adviser of the mill, was not available for comment.