Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner forms committee to evaluate sugar mill's Haryana land for dues of farmers

Jalandhar, June 10

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Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra has constituted a committee to evaluate and examine the viability in terms of location of 155-acre land belonging to Phagwara-based Sandhar Sugar Mill, at Fatehabad (Haryana), so that the balance payment of farmers is made by the mill.

It may be mentioned here that Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill of Phagwara has to pay Rs 72 crore to farmers against the purchase of sugarcane. While, the Kapurthala-based properties of the mill have already been attached, the Fatehabad property will also be evaluated to pay the remaining dues of farmers by the mill. These payments have been pending to the tune of Rs 30 crore for the year 2019-20, Rs 6 crore for 2020-21 and Rs 34 crore for 2021-22. In a meeting with the representatives of farmer unions, DC Vishesh Sarangal, representatives of the sugar fed and the cane commissioner, Taxation Department, it was decided that in the larger administrative interests of the state and financial interest of farmers, it will be prudent to first have a survey of the location of 155-acre land in Fatehabad of Haryana to check its viability in terms of location and all other aspects, including any mortgage/other charges which the owner might have to pay to any other agency.

The committee will make a visit to the proposed location on June 13 and assess it by examining all aspects such as the market rate, outstanding dues and the possibility of disposing it in chunks.

After discussion with farmers, the constituted committee comprised Kulpreet Singh, PCS, SDM, Ajnala; Pawan Kumar, Naib Tehsildar, SBS Nagar; Navdeep Singh Bhogal, Tehsildar, Phagwara; Surinder Pal Singh, Kanungo, Phagwara; and Jaspinder Singh, Patwari, Phagwara. Besides, the committee will be accompanied by four representatives of farmer unions.