PILIBHIT: The sugarcane growers who have staged indefinite dharna outside the Barkhera town-based Bajaj sugar mill in Pilibhit since January 2, demanding their full and final payment of the cane price arrears, on Friday alleged that the district administration and the sugar mill management tried to convince a group of BJP supported farmers to call off the protest.
They said that the district cane officer, Jitendra Kumar Mishra, the SDM of Bisalpur circle, Rishikant Rajvanshi and the vice president of Bajaj sugar mill, Rakesh Yadav reached an amicable agreement with a few BJP-supported farmers on January 11. The mill management was given undue relaxations to clear off the cane price arrears of the previous crushing year.
Farmers allege that the group lifted the dharna the same day after a pre-planned plot. The group included Kamlesh Gangwar, the son of BJP's present 'Block Pramukh' Rama Devi Gangwar.
The farmers reiterated their firm decision to continue their protest by the time the mill pays off the outstanding payment of cane price of previous year of Rs 70.22 crore and Rs 113.11 crore of the current crushing season. In addition, these farmers are also demanding the declaration of state-advised price (SAP) of sugarcane for the current crushing year with a hike of Rs 100 per quintal over the previous year's rate.
Arvind Sharma of village Jyoraha Kalyanpur, Hariom Gangwar of Bhopatpur and Devendra Gangwar of Arasi were among the protesting cane farmers who alleged that despite the commitment of the sugar mill management to pay Rs 15 crore -- a part of arrears on January 11 -- only a scanty payment on a par with Rs 2 crore was made.
Meanwhile, the district cane officer, Jitendra Kumar Mishra, said that the mill had agreed to pay all dues of the previous year by February 7, following which the mill management would continue paying Rs 2.50 crore per day to farmers towards the cane price of the current season.
One of the protesting farmers, Phool Chandra Acharya, said, "The mill procures around 80,000 quintals of sugarcane each day valuing Rs 2.80 crore at the previous year's SAP. If the mill management pays Rs. 2.50 crore per day to farmers, who will pay the arrears worth Rs 113 crore which have accumulated since the day the mill rolled its wheels on December 6 during the current crushing season."
