Cane farmers protest at Sugar Commissioner’s office

Cane farmers protest at Sugar Commissioner’s office

Pune: To press sugarcane farmers’ demands of fair and remunerative price (FRP) dues, around 50 members of Prahar Janshakti Paksh headed by MLA Omprakash Kadu  marched to the Sugar Commissioner’s office and climbed to the terrace of the five-storeyed building on Monday. Armed with triangular white flags, they shouted slogans from the terrace. They agitators submitted their list of demands  to Sugar Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad.

Kadu said, “We appreciated the efforts taken by the sugar commissioner to recover pending FRP dues. However over Rs 1,400 crore is still pending with the sugar mills. All we are asking for is a deadline as to when the dues will be fully paid. Farmers continue to suffer as they are yet to get their money. We have sought the details of  Revenue Recovery Certificate (RRC) notices sent by the sugar commissioner to the sugar mills and the administration should start the process of seizing properties of errant mills.” 

Kadu said political leaders who own sugar mills and are on the default list should resign. “We are only going to wait for a month and then start the ‘Chakka jam’ protest in which vehicles of mill owners with pending FRP dues will be stopped and locked,” added Kadu.

‘Mobile app would cost Rs 83 lakh’ 
Kadu demanded that farmers should get detailed real time messages about their sugarcane trading. Gaikwad said his office has submitted the proposal for a mobile application which will provide such details. “The proposal was sent to the government in May. The application would contain details of all sugarcane farmers, who would get all details on their mobiles through the application. The farmers should get recovery details and their bill amount on their phone. However, the app would cost Rs 83 lakh and we have asked the IT Department to bear the cost,” added Gaikwad. He said Kadu had demanded details of action against errant mill owners and they can provide him the same. He said it was for the first time that of the total payable FRP of Rs 23,000 crore, mills paid Rs 21,604 crore to more than 20 lakh cane growers.

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