Thanjavur: The activists of Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Farmers Association, holding sugarcanes in their hands, staged a demonstration today in front of the Arignar Anna Sugar Mill, a public sector Undertaking(PSU) at Kurungulam, near Thanjavur, demanding, among other things, the immediate disbursal of outstanding amount of Rs.35 crores due to the sugarcane farmers for the supply of sugarcane to the mill for the year 2015-16.

Led by the association’s sugar mill president, S. Narayanasamy, the farmers, holding sugarcanes in their arms, condemned the sugar mill authorities for the delay in disbursing the amount due to the sugarcane farmers. They also urged the central government and the state government to immediately announce the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP), and the State Advisory Price (SAP) respectively for sugarcanes for the year 2016-17, and arrest those who were involved in the financial irregularities that were committed in the sugar mill.

The association’s state general secretary, D. Raveendran, claimed that the public sector company, Arignar Anna Sugar Mill, owed Rs.35 crores to the sugarcane farmers for the supply of sugarcane during the year 2015-16. Similarly, private sugar mills in the state owed Rs.2,000 crores to the sugarcane farmers for the supply of sugarcane.

Since the mill had not disbursed the money, the farmers are unable to repay the loans availed from national banks, he added.

Raveendran also warned that the sugarcane farmers would besiege the office of the Commissioner of Tamil Nadu Sugar Corporation (TASCO) in Chennai if the outstanding amount was not disbursed to the sugarcane farmers within a month.