Trichy: District collector K Rajamani on Friday warned private sugar mills of stringent action if they did not execute the government’s orders to settle dues to sugarcane farmers in accordance with norms. The collector’s warning came during the grievance day meeting held at the collector office where it was pointed out that private mills had paid a pittance as dues to farmers.Cane farmers had already received their dues from cooperative and public sector sugar mills in the delta districts. N Veerasekaran, state spokesperson of Bharathiya Kisan Sangam, said that all private sugar mills had been denying the state advisory price (SAP) to cane farmers which had been pending for the last four years.The mills had voluntarily agreed to pay back the same and had commenced its distribution from January. “However, instead of distributing Rs 450 as SAP for a tonne, private sugar mill authorities are paying just Rs 40 (Rs 10 X 4 years) to the farmers and forcefully getting written statements from them saying they had been given the entire amount due to them ”, he alleged.Tamizhaga Eri Mattrum Attru Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam president P Viswanathan also echoed Veerasekaran’s points. He said that if a farmer crushed 50 tonnes of cane a year, he was eligible to get Rs 90,000 (50 tonne x Rs 450 x 4 years). Instead, they were given Rs 40 only, they alleged. While replying to the farmers, district collector K Rajamani called a representative from Kothari Sugar Mills who also attended the meeting and sought an explanation. He accepted that they had been distributing Rs 40 to the farmers.The collector warned both the private sugar mills functioning in Trichy district – Kothari and EDI Parry — that they would face the music if they continued the fraud. “Within a week I am going to conduct a meeting where the authorities from both sugar mills should come and explain that they have been acting according to the government order. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to shut down the mills”, he further warned. He also instructed officials from the cooperative department to take necessary action against officials acting against the interests of farmers.Desiya Thenninthiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam president P Ayyakannu alleged that a woman farmer, Maheswari, was denied crop loan by the chairman of a primary agricultural cooperative credit society located at Alangudi Mahajanam village near Lalgudi.However, when the list of loanees whose agricultural loans were written off was out, Maheswari’s name appeared, he alleged. He urged the collector and joint registrar of cooperatives to take action against the society chairman. The collector instructed the joint registrar to initiate appropriate action.

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