Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday directed officials to draft a comprehensive law aimed at safeguarding the interests of sugarcane farmers and laborers, reported PTI.
Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio in the state government, stated that the proposed law would protect farmers, cane cutters, and sector laborers from being exploited by supervisors, transporters, and mill officials.
“Currently, sugarcane mills sign contracts with supervisors, providing them with advances worth crores of rupees to arrange cane cutters. However, these supervisors often fail to adhere to the rules, leading to the exploitation of laborers. The goal of this proposed law is to ensure the protection of everyone’s interests,” Pawar’s office quoted him as saying.
He has instructed the labor, social welfare, home, law and judiciary, and cooperation departments to collaborate on drafting the law in consultation with sugarcane farmers, cane cutters, transporters, and sugar mill associations, with the aim of presenting it before the cabinet.
