By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 14: Sugarcane farmers have started staging protest again demanding due pays from the sugar mills.
The protest was organised by the Sugarcane Farmers' Struggle Committee at Maitighar Mandala against the non-receipt of payment from the sugar mills and non-implementation of the agreement reached with the government on January 3, 2020
During the six-day Kathmandu-centric agitation of the sugarcane farmers, the government and the agitating sugarcane farmers had signed a five-point agreement to address the problems of sugarcane farmers almost a year ago.
However, some sugar mills have not yet cleared the dues of the farmers even though the government exerted pressure on the sugar mills to clear them.
As per the agreement, the government had promised to negotiate and pay the amount in the farmers’ bank account after the sugarcane farmers continued their agitation in January last year.
The sugarcane farmers have come to Kathmandu again to protest as they have not received money even one year after the deadline set by the government, said Ram Swartha Ray, chairman of Sugarcane Farmers’ Struggle Committee.
They have demanded immediate payment of their dues and implementation of the earlier agreement reached between government and the sugarcane farmers, he said.
He said that the government should take action against those sugar mills which are not paying the farmers for the last couple of years.
“We are compelled to come to Kathmandu again for protest after the sugar mills did not clear our dues even almost a year after the earlier agreement,” he told The Rising Nepal.
Farmers from various districts, including Dhanusha, Mahottari and Sarlahi, are participating in the protest, he said.
According to him, Annapurna Sugar Mill, Sri Ram Sugar Mill and Indira Sugar Mill have to give more money to farmers.
He claimed that the farmers were to get around Rs. 900 million from sugar mills.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dr. Narayan Prasad Regmi said that the government would take further initiative to address the problems of the sugarcane farmers.
“We have noticed the protest of sugarcane farmers and their demand. The government will facilitate to resolve the conflict between the farmers and the sugar mills,” he said.
He said that the ministry would begin consultation with the representatives of the sugarcane farmers and the sugar mill owners, who failed to clear dues ignoring the government direction.