RAUTAHAT, Dec 20: Shree Ram Sugar Mills of Garuda, Rautahat has started depositing money in farmers’ accounts. The industry operator, who was forced to pay the arrears due to the pressure from all quarters, has sent Rs 350 million to the farmers as payment against sugarcane.
As the farmers from different districts are staging protests in Kathmandu, the industry has started sending money to the farmers' accounts after the Sugarcane Production Association, Rautahat filed a fraud case against the industry and the police issued an arrest warrant against the operator of Garuda Sugar Industry. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also stood in favor of farmers.
There are about 18,000 sugarcane farmers in Rautahat. According to the Sugarcane Production Association, Rautahat, the industry has not paid Rs 410 million to the farmers for the last six years. The industry, which had agreed to clear all the dues by April last year, has started sending money to the farmers' accounts after intense agitation and pressure.
Four sugar mills yet to clear farmers’ due worth Rs 481 million
The industry has transferred Rs 164.44 million from its account till Friday evening. The industry has stated that the money has been sent to the accounts of five thousand three hundred farmers. Sources say the remaining amount of Rs 350 million is in the bank account of the industry.
As a result of farmers’s agitation and the registration of fraud cases against the industry operators, the industry has started sending money to the farmers' accounts from Friday, said Safindra Prasad Yadav, advisor of the association. They have said they will send the remaining amount immediately, he said
Sugarcane farmers of Rautahat were also preparing for a Kathmandu-centric agitation if all the dues were not paid within a day or two. Stating that the farmers are fully prepared to go to Kathmandu if the industry does not pay the remaining amount immediately, Yadav said that some money has been sent to the farmers' account and if they do not send the remaining amount within a day or two, they will stage a protest.
Farmers have expressed satisfaction over the payment made after six years. Shree Ram Sugar Mills Limited had apologized to the sugarcane farmers on Friday for payment delay.
