Chandigarh: Pratap Singh Bajwa, Congress MLA from Qadian and former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take steps to clear pending cane dues of the farmers.
He wrote a letter stating that the delay in cane payments is a violation of the provisions of clause 15 A of the Punjab Sugarcane (Regulation of Purchase and Supply) Act 1953 and the Sugarcane Control Order 1966.
Bajwa said, “Crushing season also almost ended in the state as the majority of the sugar mills have closed the operations. While few are likely to end the season in a few days.”
“The government had increased the State Advisory Price (SAP) of sugarcane to Rs 360 per quintal for 2021-22 season from Rs 310 per quintal. Apart from this, the government has also agreed to pay Rs 35 per quintal to the private sugar mills. However, It has been brought to my attention that these payments have not been made due to officials bringing up the need to update Aadhaar numbers and bank account numbers of the sugarcane farmers,” he further added.
