The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the State government to take action on private and government run sugar mills that has not paid the dues to the sugarcane farmers on Wednesday.
In a statement here, party’s State secretary G. Ramakrishnan said that private sugar mills have not been paying government mandated prices to the farmers. “The amount owed by private sugar mills alone is Rs. 1,650 crore. Moreover, cooperative and government owned sugar mills owe Rs. 350 crore. Despite protests by sugarcane farmers unions, the government has not taken steps to ensure the payment,” he said. He criticised the government for arresting protesting farmers in Chennai. “Instead of taking action on private mill owners, the government has arrested farmers,” he said.
