Farmers’ leader and former MP Raju Shetti warned on Tuesday that protests would be staged outside the Sugar Commissioner’s office in Pune if sugar mills do not comply with the high court’s order to make one-time payments to sugarcane farmers.
Shetti, accompanied by other farmer leaders, met with the sugar commissioner in Shivajinagar, urging officials to ensure that sugar mills follow the court’s directive.
Recently, Shetti won a case against the Maharashtra government, the Central government, and the Sugar Commissioner over the issue of sugar mills paying farmers in a single installment instead of multiple stages.
Shetti explained that, traditionally, farmers received a one-time Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) payment for their sugarcane. However, in 2022, sugar mills persuaded the state government to amend the law, linking payments to sugar production per tonne of cane. This change allowed mills to pay farmers in stages rather than as a single payment, reported Hindustan Times.
“We opposed this change and approached the Bombay High Court, seeking a return to the previous system where payments were made in full based on the average sugar production per tonne from the prior year,” Shetti stated.
He also mentioned that the case faced delays in the High Court, which led him to write a letter to the Supreme Court, humorously suggesting that judges should receive their salaries in installments too. “Following that letter, our case was expedited, and on March 17, 2025, the High Court ruled in our favor,” he said.
The court overturned the Maharashtra government’s decision and instructed the enforcement of the Central government’s policy, ensuring that farmers receive their payments in a single installment.
