Gaushala,23 Nov 2014: More than 100 sugarcane farmers have been staging a sit-in before the Everest Sugar Mill in Ramnagar of Mahottari since the past three days, demanding payment of the dues that the Mill owes to them.
The farmers are stating the protest streets since Friday after the Mill failed to pay some 440 million rupees that they are entitled from the sale of sugarcane last season.
The Mill is yet to pay Rs. 440.8 million for the 5800,000 quintals of sugarcane it purchased from the farmers last fiscal year 2013/14, according to President of the Sugarcane Producer Farmers Association Naresh Singh Kushwaha.
The protest will continue until the payment is made. The farmers have also warned of resorting to severe forms of protest if the mill’s operation is resumed without paying the previous dues. The mill is reportedly coming back to operation from December 4.
The sugar mill had paid the farmers Rs. 400 per quintal of sugarcane despite purchasing it for Rs. 476 per quintal. The administration had promised to pay the full amount later.
Meanwhile, Manager of the Everest Sugar Mill Krishna Chandra Das said the Mill paid a total of Rs. 2.32 billion to the farmers last year and is preparing clear off the dues soon.
The delay in payment is due to the failure to sell the sugar produced from last year and it will be done as soon as the sugar is sold in the local market, he said.
Source RSS
