In the wider interest of the Cane farmers of the State, Commissioner, Cane and Sugar, Shri Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy has issued detailed guidelines to the District Administration and departmental officers to control the malpractice of under weighment at Sugar mill gates and purchasing centers to ensure smooth cane supply.
Giving detailed information in this regard, Cane Commissioner told that the licenses of the weighment clerks issued by the concerned District Magistrates should be given to the Sugar mills, 15 days before the operation starts of cane purchasing center. While weighing at the cane purchasing centres, the weighment clerks will have to compulsorily keep the identity card along with the license.
The Cane Commissioner has also informed that in order to maintain the transparency in the fortnightly transfers of weighment clerk, the transfer will be done through Smart Ganna Kisan Project(ERP) and the list of transfer will also be uploaded on the departmental website and social media. The process of uploading database and Photograph of the weighment clerk on the departmental website will be performed by the concerned Assistant Sugar Commissioner. Instructions have also been given for not to issue licenses of weighment clerks whose licenses have been canceled or punished in the last five years. Sugar Mill Occupiers has been directed to install manual weighbridges with minimum 10 ton capacity at the sugar mill gate, so that farmers will be able to check their weight comparatively. An acknowledgment sheet consisting of the supply tickets to be weighed on the same day will also be compulsorily displayed at every purchase centre.
During the crushing season, the farmers’ interest is affected by adopting fraudulent methods like cane under weighment, by making a nexus amongst the original weighment equipment manufacturer, software provider and the AMC provider. In view to prevent this collusion and to fix the responsibility of every person involved in the weighing work, Cane Commissioner has said that in case of any tampering and calibration found in the accuracy of the electronic weighing machine (web bridge), used for weighing sugarcane, then responsibilities of weighing equipment manufacturer, software provider and AMC provider will be fixed and action will be taken against them under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the relevant rules, 2011. In this regard, all the sugar mills operating in the State and their hardware, software and AMC providers have also been informed.
It is also said by the Cane Commissioner, that in case of irregularities found during inspection by the inspecting authority, the action is taken under the provisions contained in the Sugarcane (Supply and Purchase) Act, 1953 and the UP Sugarcane Supply and Purchase Rules, 1954, by issuing notices against the defaulter sugar mills and weighment clerks by the concerned District Magistrate under the relevant section and relevant rules. Further security of forfeiture or prosecution in a competent court is done. Apart from this, action is being taken for suspension and cancellation of licenses of weigh clerks found guilty in under weighment.
It was also informed by the Cane Commissioner that the inspection register would be printed on A-4 size in the landscape layout for marking the detailed inspection note in the upcoming crushing season. A minimum of 40 percent of which will be kept blank for the inspector to write their comments. Along with this, the vehicles which have been weighed by the inspecting officer while checking the web bridge at the external cane purchasing center and mill gate, will be re-examined as far as possible and its details will also be mentioned in the inspection letter. Instructions have also been given to register an FIR against the concerned sugar mill as well as against the company manufacturing the weighing equipment under relevant sections.
