Lucknow: Sugarcane crushing season is around the corner in Uttar Pradesh, and the mills are yet to pay cane dues around Rs 4,096.62 crore to farmers.
Sugarcane farmers alleged this is a contempt of the Allahabad high court order of September 16 which directed the state government to clear the dues within a one month.
Out of total 119 sugar mills in UP, three are state-owned, 24 are in the cooperative sector and 92 in the private sector.
According to the reports, two sugar mills have already started cane crushing in October. Rest 117 sugar mills have been directed to commence cane crushing by November 5.
Issuing warning against the defaulter sugar mills, UP government had set a deadline of October 31 to pay all the arrears of sugarcane farmers. But it seems mills will not be able to pay the dues before the deadline. Commissioner, Sugar and Cane, Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy issued a stern direction to sugar mills to clear all cane dues before starting the crushing season.
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