KOLHAPUR: Sugar millers and sugarcane farmers have realised that they must now unite to pressure the government to provide financial assistance to millers so that they can pay farmers the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) declared by the state government.Farmers under the banner of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana were demanding that millers should pay one-time FRP, under the rules. It is mandatory for millers to pay farmers FRP within 14 days of the crop being cut from their fields.Millers, however, had defaulted on payments even two months after the crop was cut and cane crushing had begun. Farmers were in agitation mode, when last week the millers deposited 80% of the total FRP (Rs 2300 per tonne) in their accounts.Angry farmers had set offices of some mills on fire in Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur districts. MP Raju Shetti threatened to continue the agitation if millers failed to pay dues. Reacting on the agitation, NCP chief Sharad Pawar who was in Kolhapur two days ago, said he would meet Shetti and ask him to show a way out so farmers can be paid when the government offers millers no assistance.State revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said, “The farmers should accept at least 80% and demand that millers pay the remaining 20% with interest later on. We are ready to assist farmers and millers as well. FRP is mandatory for millers. We will act against millers failing to pay FRP.”Members of the SSS and millers met in Kolhapur on Monday and discussed the matter. Almost all mills in South Maharashtra belong to Congress and NCP leaders, and farmers are their primary vote bank. They continue to blame the government for failure to pay farmers. SSS too draws its support from farmers, who are their vote bank. It is in this background that the millers and SSS have now come together to agitate jointly.

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