Chandigarh: Sugar mills in Punjab owe cane growers hundreds of crores of rupees, according to information tabled in the state assembly on Wednesday, reported Tribune India.
For the current fiscal year, six private sugar mills and nine cooperative mills owe Rs 465 crore and Rs 200.53 crore, respectively, to cane growers. Additionally, two private mills have outstanding dues amounting to Rs 34 crore, spanning the fiscal years 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23.
This information surfaced in response to a query posed by Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary during the Question Hour of today’s Budget session. The information elucidated that cooperative sugar mills exhibited no arrears from the preceding fiscal years. In the current fiscal year, a sum of Rs 340.42 crore had been disbursed, while Rs 200.53 crore remained outstanding against the total quantity of crushed cane.
Further details underscored that Punjab farmers receiving the highest sugarcane prices, with the Government of India setting a fair remunerative price of Rs 315 per quintal. In contrast, the state government had fixed a state-advised price of Rs 391 per quintal, reflecting a Rs 76 difference per quintal.
