TRICHY: 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 450 as SAP for a tonne, private sugar mill authorities are paying just 40 ( 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 90,000 (50 tonne x 450 x 4 years). Instead, they were given 40 only, they alleged. tnn

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