Chandigarh: The sit-in protest by farmers against pending arrears of sugarcane by farmers entered the fifth day today. The farmers have blocked roads leading to Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar and Nakodar were also blocked by parking tractors, leading to traffic snarls.
They also blocked both sides of the National highway here, affecting traffic flow from Amritsar to Delhi.
Following this, Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has today announced to release pending payment worth Rs. 100 crores to the sugarcane farmers on Thursday (August 11). This was deposited in the accounts of the farmers today.
Giving details, the Chief Minister said that 295.60 crores was the total pending arrears of sugarcane farmers which had to be paid by the government / cooperative sugarmills in the state.
He said that out of this Rs 100 crore was paid by the government on July 29th this year. Bhagwant Mann said that the remaining arrears of sugarcane farmers were Rs.195.60 crores and he had promised the farmers that out of this Rs. 100 crore will be paid by August 15th this year and the remaining Rs.95.60 cores will be cleared by September 7th.
Subsequently, the Chief Minister said that Aam Aadmi Government has released Rs. 100 crores
as payment to the sugarcane farmers on Thursday through Sugared, Punjab and the same has been deposited in the accounts of the sugarcane farmers today.
He assured that the state government is committed to clear all the pending arrears of Government and cooperative Sugar-mills will be paid by September 7.
CM reiterated that even the private sugar mills, except Phagwara sugar mill, have assured that they will pay their arrears of farmers by September 7th.
With this payment of Rs. 100.00 crores, the Cooperative Sugar Mills in the State have already paid Rs.526.27 crores to the sugarcane farmers out of total sugarcane arrears of Rs.619.62 crores.