Chandigarh: Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian has today directed the officials of the department that the balance amount of sugarcane of 1.05 crore rupees should be deposited in the bank accounts of the sugarcane growers of Sangrur region by Monday. Apart from this, he also asked Deputy Commissioner Sangrur to release the due amount (about Rs. 6.95 crore) from Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill to the farmers by the end of this month.
The Agriculture Minister issued these instructions during a meeting with the Sangrur District Administration, M/s Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill, Dhuri and representatives of Sugarcane Growers Struggle Committee, Dhuri at his office on Thursday.
Listening sympathetically to the problems of the sugarcane cultivators. Gurmeet Singh Khudian also asked the Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur Mr. Jatinder Jorwal to ensure that sugarcane growers do not face any problem in selling their crop due to any irregularities like laxity in purchase and lifting (payment).
Sangrur district officials told the Agriculture Minister that about 2 lakh quintals of sugarcane has been crushed by Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill through sugar mills located at Amloh, Budhewal, Mukerian and Nakodar as the Dhuri unit has not been commissioned.
Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that no one will be allowed to exploit the farmers and the interests of the farmers will be protected. He said that Punjab is the state that gives the highest State Agreed Price (SAP) to sugarcane growers across the country. With the increase in SAP, farmers are now getting a price of Rs 391 per quintal for their produce.