Khudian Orders Release of Over 1Cr to Sugarcane Farmers

Chandigarh, January 18: Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian directed the department officials to transfer Rs. 1.05 crore into the bank accounts of sugarcane farmers from Sangrur area by Monday, besides, directing Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur to ensure the release of pending payment (around Rs. 6.95 crores) from the Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill to farmers by the end of this month.

          These directions were issued by the Agriculture Minister during a meeting with Sangrur district administration, management of M/s Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill, Dhuri and representatives of Ganna Kashatkar Sangharsh Committee, Dhuri at his office here on Thursday.

          Lending sympathetic ear to the concerns of sugarcane farmers,  Gurmeet Singh Khudian also directed Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur Jitendra Jorwal to ensure that the farmers should not face any hardship in selling their produce because of any unfair practice of slow purchase and lifting of the sugarcane crop.

          Sangrur district authorities apprised the Agriculture Minister that around 2 lakh quintals sugarcane of the Bhagwanpura Sugar Mill has been crushed through mills situated at Amloh, Budhewal, Mukerian and Nakodar as the Dhuri unit was non-operational.

          Reiterating the commitment of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government for the welfare of the state farmers,  Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that no one will be allowed to exploit the ‘annadata’ and interests of the farmers will be safeguarded. He said that Punjab is leading state in the country in providing the maximum State Agreed Price (SAP) to sugarcane cultivators. With the hike in SAP, now farmers are getting Rs. 391 per quintal for their yield.

          Special Secretary Agriculture Mr. Sanyam Aggarwal, ADGP Jaskarn Singh, SSP Sangrur Sartaj Singh Chahal, Cane Commissioner Punjab Rajesh Kumar Raheja and other officials of the departments concerned were also present in the meeting.