Sitamarhi, Bihar: Sugarcane farmers have launched an agitation demanding the revival of the only sugar mill in the district, the Riga sugar mill, which has stopped operations few years ago, reports Navbharat Times.
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Sangharsh Morcha have launched a protests demanding revival of mill and blocked roads and closed markets for their demand.
Local administration and police officials are trying to convince agitators to call off their agitation but they are in no mood to stop the protest.
As many as 40,000 farmers are affected due to the closure of the mill. Farmers are now turning away from cane cultivation due to the closure of the sugar mill.
Two months ago chief minister Nitish Kumar visited Sitamarhi during which he assured farmers that the Riga sugar mill would be revived but no constructive step has been taken in this direction so far.
The sugar mill owes crores of Rs to the cane farmers since 2014-15 and the farmers are demanding that their dues should be cleared at the earliest.
