Maharashtra BJP leaders call on Amit Shah, seek fresh lease of life for sugar mills

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis, Union minister of state for railways Raosaheb Danve, senior leaders Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Harshvardhan Patil, Prithviraj Deshmukh, Dhananjay Mhadik, Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Madan Bhosale and Rahul Kul were present at the meeting. Besides Fadnavis, all the other leaders who attended the meeting either own sugar mills or are associated with them.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Fadnavis said, “Several issues confronting the sugar mills were discussed at length. The resolution of these long-pending issues could give a new lease of life to sugar mills.”

The former CM said, “The sugar mills which pay more than fair price renumeration (FRP) to farmers for purchase of sugar cane are subjected to higher taxes. This is a complex matter, which has remained unresolved for the past 15 to 20 years. This was deliberated (upon) at the meeting.”

The home minister assured the leaders that he would positively look into the matter and find a solution to address the ad hoc taxation, he added.

During the meeting, problems related to loan restructuring for sugar mills were also discussed. Besides, impact of floods, cyclone and Covid-induced lockdown were also brought up.

It was also pointed out that this year, the area under sugar cane cultivation has marginally increased. The sugar cane production is expected to be higher and therefore, all hurdles related to cane crushing should be addressed, the leaders said. This year, sugar cane crushing in Maharashtra started from October 15.

Commenting on the model of payment to cane farmers by the sugar mills, Fadnavis said, “During the previous Congress and NCP government, a decision was taken that cane farmers should get the payment in one installment. The same was adopted by Centre which made it mandatory for sugar mills to make payment within 15 days after procuring sugar cane from farmers. Unfortunately, now we have learnt the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is reconsidering the payment mode. It wants to bring amendment to facilitate sugar mills to spread the payment over three installments instead of one. The farmers are not happy with this.”

Fadnavis accused the state’s ruling MVA government of discriminating against the mill owners based on party lines. “The sugar mills owned by BJP are getting raw deal compared to those aligned to ruling Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena,” he said.