Punjab CM directs SUGARFED to pay balance Rs.149 Cr of cane arrears of coop sugar mills

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered Sugarfed to pay balance amount of Rs.149 crore to liquidate full arrears of Rs.299 crore payable to the cane growers by the Cooperative Sugar Mills.

Meanwhile, on the directives of the Chief Minister, the Finance Department sanctioned Rs.150 crore to make the outstanding payment of the farmers of Cooperative Sugar Mills, while the balance amount of Rs.149 crore would be paid by the Sugarfed from its own resources.

Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said Captain Amarinder also asked Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa to work out a financially viable mechanism so as to avert such a situation in future, and ensure timely and regular payment to the cane growers.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also directed the private sugar mills to immediately clear the pending payment of farmers.

Notably, out of the total Rs.1253 crore on account of cane arrears of four private sugar mills in the state, Rs.876 crore has already been paid and Rs.377 crore is pending, while out of Rs.486 crore of cooperative sugar mill, Rs. 229 crore has been made by the Sugarfed and Rs.257 crore and Rs.42 crore is pending for the year 2019-20 and 2018-19 respectively.