Sugarcane farmers today padlocked Shreeram Sugar Mills Limited located at Garuda Municipality, Rautahat, indefinitely demanding that they be paid their dues. The agitating farmers also staged a transport strike at the road section along Gaur-Chandranigahapur from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Rambharosa Yadav, Chairman of Farmers’ and Industry Association Garuda chapter said that sugarcane peasants had locked the mills for an indefinite period as the mills were yet to clear Rs 53 crores in last year’s dues. Yadav warned of obstructing the East-West highway if the mills did not show sincerity towards solving the problem from tomorrow. Sugarcane Producers’ Union Rautahat Chairman Ashok Yadav said that they were forced to lock the mills as the management had been delaying payment. Agitating farmer Jayanath Yadav said that farmers were ready to take sugar equivalent to the dues too. “But, the mills gives neither money nor sugar,” Jayanath complained.

Around ten months ago, the government-mediated dialogue had fixed a price of Rs 476 per quintal of sugarcane. However, the mill was giving just Rs 400 in advance per quintal. Farmers have been agitated after the mills did not pay them Rs 76 more per quintal sugarcane. Ashok Yadav said that they had put forth a four-point demand including payment of last year’s dues. Mills’ Manager and Proprietor Diwakar Golchha said they would pay the dues in two days’ time. “We can pay the farmers from the amount received from the sale of sugar,” Golchha added. He said that his mills had to bear hefty loss because of the drop in the price of sugar last year.