Outstanding payments to be made soon, Minister tells sugarcane growers

Taking a serious note of pending payment of sugarcane, Cooperation, Prisons and Tourism Minister Dr Arvind Sharma has assured the farmers that they need not worry, as their outstanding payments would be made soon.

He said discussions had taken place with the Chief Secretary and officials from the Finance Department to ensure prompt payment for the farmers’ crop dues. He also emphasised that measures would be put in place to prevent future delays in payments to the farmers.

On Tuesday, Sharma spoke to Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi regarding the outstanding payments for cane farmers and urged that the payments be made as quickly as possible. Prior to this, the Cooperation Minister had expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay in payments during a feedback session with the Sugarfed officials.

“The file for the cane farmers’ pending payments has been sent to the Finance Department, and Sugarfed officials have been instructed to maintain direct contact with the Finance Department to expedite the release of funds, ensuring that the farmers’ payments are made without further delay,” said Sharma during the session.

The minister also stated that efforts were being made to encourage the farmers for increasing sugarcane cultivation, which would help extend the crushing season for the sugar mills.

“The state government is fully committed to the welfare of cane farmers and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has also been involved in discussions on the matter. He has clearly stated that no farmer should face any difficulty so they need to remain patient as their dues will be cleared soon,” Sharma added.