Karnataka - Bidar   

Sugar firms told to pay arrears to farmers

Staff Correspondent

Bidar: Agriculture Minister Bandeppa Kashempur has directed three cooperative sugar factories to pay arrears to farmers who supplied cane last year.

In a meeting to discuss the problems of farmers, he asked the factories to ensure that their operations are fair and transparent in the next crushing season.

“As many as 50 farmers have committed suicide in the district. Most of them were growers whose crop was not crushed. While the farmers blame the managements, factories say that labour gangs responsible for cutting and crushing of cane have harassed farmers, forcing some of them to commit suicide," he said.

It was estimateed that farmers lost nearly Rs. 7 crore as they had to bribe labour gangs. This had added to the problem. This year, all the stakeholders should ensure that such a situation does not recur, he said.

Mr. Kashempur asked the factory managements to discuss and resolve issues such as overlapping of areas of operation, harvest schedule and crushing and pricing of sugarcane, he said.

He told farmers not to depend on labourers hired on contract.

The farmers should set up village-level labour gangs to harvest cane and transport it to the factories.

Since the growers were involved in cutting, there would be less chance of farmers being harassed.

Secondly, it would generate employment to the village youth, he said.

Mr. Kashempur asked farmers to form associations of labour gangs.

Officials said that the Naranja Sahakari Sakkare Karakhane had to pay Rs. 22.85 crore as arrears to farmers, the Bidar Sahakari Sakkare Karakhane Rs. 26 crore, and the Mahatma Gandhi Sahakari Sakkare Karakhane Rs. 8 crore.

The Minister asked the city municipal council officials to take up a weeklong cleanliness campaign in Bidar city.

Mr. Kashempur asked the police to behave well with people while enforcing the rule on movement of vehicles at night.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Green cover: people of Bidar set an example
Sugar firms told to pay arrears to farmers
Children in madrasas to be given education

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu