Khaira appeals to sugar mill owners not to ditch the cane farmers

Jalandhar, August 5, 2015: Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Ex-MLA of Congress has made an appeal to all sugar mill owners particularly public figures Rana Gurjit Singh MLA and Jarnail Singh Wahad Chairman Markfed, not to ditch the cane farmers in their hour of crises.

His appeal reads as under: “As we are aware, private sugar mill owners have issued public notices announcing closure of their units, for the ensuing 2015-16 cane crushing season. The reason cited by these private millers is the imbalance between the high MSP of Rs. 295 per quintal price of sugarcane and the cost of production of sugar. One can understand that no industry can survive without the economics of profitability, but since sugar mills are agro industry and the only source of survival of the farmers, therefore there are certain moral and social responsibilities that these ultra rich industrialists have towards the people of their state.

Needless to mention, the agrarian economy is in shambles with a colossal debt of over Rs. 51,000 crore on the farmers of Punjab, as a result there have been large number of suicides by farmers and farm labourers across the state.

To further add to the woes of poor farmers is the huge arrears of sugarcane outstanding towards them, by the government and private sector sugar mills for the last few years. According to information, the current arrears of cane growers are Rs. 682 crore of which Rs. 300 crore is owed to the farmers, by the cooperative mills of the government.

Needless to mention, the sugar lobby wields immense influence upon the ruling political dispensation of India, due to which the central government has been very liberal to their demands. Only recently, the Modi government has enhanced the import duty of sugar from 15 percent to 40 percent, in order to discourage import of cheap sugar from South American countries. Similarly, the government has allocated Rs. 6,000 crore as interest free loans to sugar mill owners to tide over crisis.

It is noteworthy to mention that, all the private sugar mill owners be it the Oswal’s, Wahad’s, Rana Gurjit’s, Yadav’s, Reddy’s or Sharad Pawar etc., are mega rich corporate houses and are not dependent on only one sugar mill or one unit. Hence, for them to even run in losses for a few years is no big deal and in any case when these same mills made huge profits, the owners never shared these financial gains with the farmers.”

Further, he said it is intriguing to note the conspiracy of silence being maintained by Sh. Parkash Singh Badal CM, who otherwise claims to be the sole champion of farmer rights. He added it is also saddening to note, that the BKU the representative organization is also maintaining a studied silence over this burning issue.

“Last but not the least, I make a humble appeal to all sugar mill owners not to shut down their units. I urge Rana Gurjit Singh MLA and Jarnail Singh Wahad Chairman Markfed, to lead by example and make a public commitment that they will procure and crush the cane for ensuing season and also urge their counterpart owners, to open their mills because it is the time of crisis that tests the strengths and weaknesses of a leader”, he added.