Villupuram, Tamil Nadu: Chengalrayan Co-operative Sugar Mills Limited has issued a stern warning to private sugar mills to halt the smuggling of sugarcane from fields designated exclusively for the co-operative mill, reports The Hindu.
District Revenue Officer R. Muthumeenakshi announced that the cooperative mill currently has a stock of only 2.75 lakh tonnes of sugarcane. This is despite limited supply, private mills are reportedly smuggling both registered and unregistered sugarcane from fields reserved for the cooperative mill.
Muthumeenakshi hit back saying that the co-operative mill had banned private mills from using both registered and non-registered sugarcane to ensure it gets sufficient supply. It warned that any private mill found transporting sugarcane from the reserved areas would be dealt with conclusively.
“Stringent action will be taken against private sugar mills for transporting even unregistered cane from an area reserved for the cooperative mill,” Muthumeenakshi said. “Vehicles involved in the smuggling will be seized, and criminal action will be initiated against the middlemen.”
The directive comes as the cooperative mill seeks to retain its sugarcane supply amid claims of illegal activities by private mills.
