August 31 Deadline Crossed, Farmers in West UP Protest Over Rs, 6,400 crore Sugarcane Dues

New Delhi: Thousands of sugarcane farmers of Meerut district have been protesting over the last two days, demanding payment of their dues from five sugar mills, which they said has now surpassed the Rs 1,554 crore figure.

It may be noted that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath had set a deadline of August 31 for all sugar mills to settle farmers’ arrears. The total outstanding amount stands at nearly Rs 6,400 crore.

In their first agitation after the Lok Sabha elections in May this year, the farmers surrounded the sugarcane building during their protest and also clashed with policemen who had put up barricades in the city. At least one farmer was injured in the clash on Wednesday.

Addressing the protesters, leaders of various farmers’ unions slammed the mill managements for not keeping their repeated promises to clear outstanding arrears.

Around 50 km from Meerut, farmers in Saharanpur district also hit the road a few days ago under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Taumar) over the pending dues. The total dues to cane growers from six mills are likely to have crossed Rs 81.88 crore by now. Apart from this, Rs 2.71 crore is also due on committee/council on the total sugarcane procurement in the crushing season 2018-19, according to reports.

As per local media reports, when none of the administrative officials came forward to accept their memorandum, the anger of the protesting farmers started erupting and they started shouting slogans. They reiterated that if cane payment was not made soon, they would organise a massive movement across Uttar Pradesh.

Commenting on the ongoing protest by cane farmers across western UP, Rajvir Singh Mundet, a Shamli-based social worker and state president of Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Sanyukt Union, told Newsclick, "There are 135 sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh and ever since BJP government came into power, cane prices have increased and we are not getting our payment on time. This is unfortunate, as sugarcane minister Suresh Rana belongs to our district, Shamli. Fifteen days ago, he was sugarcane minister (independent) but despite not able to get the farmers’ their due, he has been awarded and is now a cabinet minister in the Adityanath government.”

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making ‘fake promises, he said during the Lok Sabha election campaign, he had said in Saharanpur that he will get all the dues of cane farmers cleared and his government would give one-and-a-half times price of cane on cost to the farmers.

"In Shamli district alone, Rs 400 crore are due from three sugar mills and total Rs 6,400 crore are due from all sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh. On August 28, we gheraoed of Parliament and submitted a memorandum to the PM, but the one who is accountable flying in planes”.

Another BKU veteran Ghulam Mohammed Jaula told Newsclick, "There are seven sugar mills in Muzaffarnagar district and around Rs 15 crore is due from them. The bulk of arrears are owned by Bajaj Hindusthan, Simbhaoli, Modi groups,” adding that protests across Western Uttar Pradesh have intensified because the government also increased electricity rates.