Agitating sugarcane farmers locked three high officials including the President of Garuda-based Shreeram Sugar Mills in Rauthat, on Tuesday. The farmers from Rautahat, Bara and Sarlahi had padlocked the Mills on Monday demanding that the industry pay them dues from last year. During the protests, they locked Mills' President Lalit Bahadur Thapa, Vice-President YK Sharma and Production Manager Rajeev Singh inside their offices today. The farmers have claimed that the Mills is due to pay Rs 210 million from last year.

The Sugarcane Producers Association, which has been leading the protests said, the official trio are still locked inside offices since 12 pm today. The agitators are chanting slogans against the Mills, Administrative Officer Jaya Mangal Yadav informed. Sugarcane Producers Association Chairman Ashok Yadav said they were forced to shut down the industry after it continued dillydallying overpayment of the dues. All production and distribution-related activities at the Mills came to a sudden halt due to the strike.