JALANDHAR: Stating that sugar mills in Punjab are yet to pay Rs 735 crore to cane-growers, the Doaba Kisan Sangharsh Committee announced to start an agitation in Phagwara on August 13.Addressing a press conference here, Sangharash Committee president Manjit Singh Rai and secretary Satnam Singh Sahni said private sugar mills owed Rs 445 crore and cooperative mills owed Rs 290 crore to cane growers in the state. “The biggest amount is due towards Rana Sugars, Buttar, and Wahid Sandhar Sugars, Phagwara, as they owe Rs 119 crore and 114 crore, respectively, to farmers,” they said.They said the Phagwara mill had not cleared payment of cane procured from January 16 to May 10 this year, while Ranas’ mill was to clear the payment for cane procured from March 1 to April 25. “As the Phagwara mill is far behind other mills in clearing dues, we will start the agitation outside its gate on August 13. We will then resort to a more aggressive agitation, which may include blocking rail and road traffic,” the committee leaders said.“The cane crop takes around a year and we are yet to be paid for our investment made one and a half years ago. We are unable to pay the school fee or to meet other necessary and daily expenses. More than the debt waiver, state government needs to ensure payments of cane growers are cleared,” they said. “According to legal provisions, payments have to be cleared in two weeks of the purchase of the sugarcane by mills.”

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