A section of sugarcane farmers on Friday staged an agitation without shirts protesting against a private sugar mill that was not coming forward to pay ₹14 crore arrears due to them.
The farmers, led by Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam president N. Ramachandra Raja, staged the novel protest at the monthly farmers’ grievances redressal meeting chaired by District Collector R. Kannan at the Collectorate.
Mr. Raja said that the sugar mill in Vasudevanallur in Tenkasi district had procured sugarcane from farmers of Rajapalayam, Srivilliputtur and Watrap taluks and the cane were cut in 2018-19.
The money due to the farmers had not been disbursed till date, he complained.
Stating that the farmers had raised the issue with the district administration several times, they charged that no effective measures had been taken to force the mill to pay the outstanding dues to the farmers.
Though the Collector tried to pacify them, the farmers stuck to their ground.
The sugar mill had procured 2,783 tonnes of cane from 173 farmers for the 2018 crushing season.
“Though the mill had sold sugar, molasses and electricity produced through co-generation using the cane procured from the farmers, it was not willing to pay the farmers,” Mr. Raja said.
He added that farmers had taken loans from cooperative and nationalised banks to raise the crop. “Since, the mill had not repaid us, our farmers are not able to repay the loan and the banks are sending notices warning of distraint proceedings against us for defaulting in loan repayment,” he said.
Farmers from Virudhunagar district, along with local farmers of Tenkasi district, have planned to lay siege to the sugarmill in Vasudevanallur on Monday, said Mr. Raja
Later in the day, the Collector convened a tripartite meeting with the farmers and representatives of the sugarmill at the Collectorate.
However, an official said that the Collector had issued a deadline of March 5 for the sugarmill to start disbursal of the outstanding dues to the farmers, failing which another round of meeting would be held on March 6 at Rajapalayam taluk office to decide on further course of action.
Meanwhile, farmers complained that the officials at the direct purchase centres set up in the district to procure paddy were demanding ₹40 per bag of paddy.
