Sangrur, Punjab: In a bid to revive the Bhagwanpura sugar mill at Dhuri and secure the release of a pending payment amounting to Rs 14 crore from the last sugarcane season, farmers, under the banner of the BKU (Ugrahan), staged a protest outside the mill, reported Tribune India.
The demonstration, spearheaded by Amrik Singh Gandhuan, the union’s Sangrur district president, and Kewal Singh Bharri, the Malerkotla district general secretary, highlighted the primary demand of farmers for the operational restoration of the mill, which is currently not processing sugarcane this season. Additionally, the farmers are seeking the settlement of the outstanding Rs 14 crore owed by the mill management to sugarcane growers from the previous season. The protesters are also calling for the issuance of purchase slips by the mill management during crop procurement.
Darbara Singh Chhajla, the outfit’s Sangrur district general secretary, stated that union representatives engaged in discussions with mill authorities. During these talks, the mill authorities assured the farmers that their concerns would be addressed promptly. Chhajla stressed that if the mill management fails to uphold its commitment, the farmers would consider resuming or intensifying their agitation.
