Sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh are an agitated lot these days. It is almost two months since the official crushing season began on October 1 and yet, more than half of the state?s 100 odd sugar mills have not started crushing, waiting as they are for the Allahabad High Court to pronounce its verdict on the sugar millers? writ challenging the state government?s State Advised Price of Rs 140. The court, which has reserved its order, is expected to give a final verdict on December 1.
The angry farmers have been holding demonstrations, protesting in front of the sugar mills and also going on hunger strikes to press the millers to start purchasing the sugarcane. They are also adamant that the millers give it in writing that they would abide by the court?s verdict and make the payment for the cane as per the court?s order. This is because they fear that the millers may contest the HC order in case, the decision does not go in their favour and the cane dues keep piling on, as had been the case last year.
According to industry sources, whichever way the Allahabad High Court?s order may go, it is unlikely to bring any relief to the farmers and they are likely to bear the brunt either way. ?In case, the court gives its decision in favour of the state government, the millers are not likely to let the matter end there and would in all probability, contest the order in a higher court.
The same can be said about the state government. In case the verdict goes in favour of the millers, the state government would surely knock on the apex court, as they did last year,? said an expert in the field. In either case, the farmers would be the ones who would lose out both on precious time and money. The delay is not only causing them a financial loss in the sugarcane crop, but is also proving detrimental to their rabi-sowing plans, for they cannot start sowing until their fields are cleared of the sugarcane crop.
However, with patience running thin among the farmers, especially with one of them dying while on a hunger strike in Khatauli, Moradabad early this week, the state government is on tenterhooks, as far as the law and order situation arising out of this issue is concerned. While the situation in the districts of western UP, like Saharanpur, Pilibhit, Bijnore, Lakhimpur Kheri, Rampur, Bareli, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Baghpat and Bulandshahr is already simmering, the agitation is now spreading to the eastern part of the state as well.
However, many private sugar mills, led by the Modi Sugar Mill and the Simbhaoli Sugar Mills have started purchasing cane from the farmers on the agreement that the payment for cane would be made based on whatever interim decision is passed by the court. And the 14 state sugar corporation mills and 22 cooperative mills, too, have started the process.
Speaking to FE, GSC Rao, executive director of Simbhaoli Sugar mills said, ?On our part, at least, we do not want to enter into any confrontation with the farmers. Whatever issue we have is with the state government and not with the farmers,? he said adding that the situation would soon normalising with more than 90% of the mills starting operations by the first week of December.
