Kathmandu: The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs to find the industrialists who have not paid the due payments of sugarcane farmers.
The industry ministry has sought the help of the Home Ministry to find the industrialists who did not submit the details of the amount paid to the farmers as per the agreement reached with the sugarcane farmers on January 3 last year.
According to the ministry, some industrialists have given money to farmers and some are yet to pay. However the Industry Ministry has not not received all the details of the payment to the farmer, so the industrialists have been called.
The Industry Ministry has written to the operators of Annapurna, Indira, Mahalakshmi and Shri Ram Sugar Mills to get in touch.
After a long agitation by farmers in Kathmandu in December last year, the Ministry of Industry had agreed to collect the remaining amount from the industrialists. As per the commitment made by the industrialists in the ministry on January 3, the industrialists had to pay all the dues to the farmers by January 25.
As per the agreement reached with the farmers, the ministry has paid Rs 115 million to Mahalakshmi Sugar Mill, Rs 39 million to Annapurna and Rs 7.4 million to Indira Sugar Mill.
Rakesh Agrawal is the operator of Indira and Annapurna Sugar Mills and Virendra Kanodia is the operator of Mahalakshmi Sugar Mills. After the payment, Indira and Annapurna have to pay Rs 213.8 million to the farmers, Mahalakshmi Sugar Mill Rs 109 million and Shri Ram Sugar Mill operated by Golchha Group Rs 270 million.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Sugarcane Producers Nepal claimed that some industrialists made a schedule and paid the arrears, but gradually the industrialists lost contact with the farmers.
According to the federation, the farmers have received information that the Mahalakshmi and Annapurna sugar mills are being repaired for operation this season.