Mill delays payments, cane growers take out tractor rally

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, August 5

Enraged over the delay in the release of payments by Naraingarh Sugar Mills Ltd for the sugarcane delivered in the previous session, farmers held a tractor rally to mark their protest today.

The farmers first gathered near the mill in Naraingarh and then took out the rally and reached the SDM office. They also burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

They said they would start an indefinite ‘Jal Satyagraha’ on August 12 in the Begna river. Sanyukt Ganna Kisan Samiti leader Singara Singh said, “Payments worth around Rs 22.74 crore are lying pending towards farmers for the previous season. We have also been raising the issue of a crop loan taken by the mill in the name of farmers. There are around 700 farmers in whose names the loan was taken by the mill. It was a scam and the affected farmers are now facing difficulties. We also want an amendment to the mill’s policy on retaining employees after retirement to stop favoritism.”

Farmer leader Ravi Azad, who led the rally, said, “The mill is yet to clear the dues for the season ending March. A panchayat was held on July 26 in Naraingarh to raise the issue and a call for protest was given but the government hasn’t taken any positive step to resolve the issues. Earlier, the mill was in private hands, but now the it is being managed by the government. Naraingarh is the home constituency of the Chief Minister and still the farmers are forced to hold protests to get their payments cleared.”

“We want that the dues should be cleared at the earliest and the government should also take a decision on the crop loan, taken by the mill in the name of farmers. The amount of crop loan is Rs 40 crore with interest. Due to this, the farmers are not able to get fresh loans from banks,” he said.

He said, “As the government hasn’t been showing any interest in resolving the issues, the sugarcane farmers will hold Jal Satyagraha to raise their demands. The government will pay the price of not accepting farmers’ demands in the upcoming Assembly elections.”