Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram on Thursday ordered the tahsildars to recover from sugar mills the dues they owe to the growers, with an interest of 15 per cent on the amount till the day of payment for the sugarcane supplied during the crushing year 2014-15.
A release said the tahsildars have also been asked to recover another 2.5 per cent interest towards the cost of fuel and transportation incurred for the recovery of the amount.
Earlier during the day, members of Kabbu Belegarara Sangha, led by district president S.S. Basavaraj, submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner holding the Malaprabha Sahakara Sakkare Karkhane (MSSK) responsible for the death of the grower Gurunath Mallappa Chapgaon of Badal Ankalgi last week. Had the sugar mill paid the bill to the grower within the stipulated days, the grower would not have committed suicide, they said.
The Sangha members accused administration officials of waking up late the problems, and reiterated the demand for filing a criminal complaint against the MSSK for delaying the payment to the deceased Gurunath.
It threatened to organise a massive protest on the first day of the monsoon session of the legislature at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in the city on June 29 if the demand was not met.
