Farmers give mill management 15 days to clear cane dues

Members of the Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)-Qadian, along with sugarcane farmers, met the mill management of Cooperative Sugar Mill Limited, Nakodar, today to seek the payment of Rs 19 crore.

They met mill management MD Sukhwinder Singh Toor and SSO Satnam Singh and submitted a memorandum, demanding that the pending sugarcane dues of the farmers be released soon. Farmers also issued an ultimatum to the management to clear their dues within 15 days, failing which they would intensify the agitation.

The mill management assured farmers that a memorandum will be sent to the government.

KKU's Rajinder Singh Mand and Baba Balwinder Singh said the question of the dues of the sugarcane farmers will be raised in the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Political) rally to be held in Samrala on August 24.

Union members said a large number of farmers belonging to Mehatpur will participate in the rally.

Amid the declaration of a huge farmer mahapanchayat at Kukkar Pind by BKU-Doaba and other unions on August 20, farmers of the BKU-Qadian and the KKU had announced to take to the warpath over their sugarcane dues.

The farmers said, "Sugarcane farmers across the Doaba and in the state have their dues pending with various mills. The government dues payable to many of these mills are also pending. The management has been asked to clear our dues within 15 day, failing which a struggle would be initiated."

A large number of farmers, including district leader of the KKU Rajinder Singh Mand, Baba Palwinder Singh of the BKU-Qadian, former sarpanch Bachan Singh, Kuljit Singh, Sukhwinder Singh Khela, Taranjit Singh Mann, Baldev Singh, Tarsem Singh Shahkot, Jaswant Singh Momi were present at the meeting held with the mill management.