Members of farmers union Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana have stepped up their agitation against sugar mills in Maharashtra’s Sangli district for refusing to pay them the fair and remunerative price (FRP) at one go. Early on Thursday morning, members of the organisation stopped the transport of cane to the Rajarambapu Cooperative Sugar Mill which is controlled by senior state minister and NCP leader Jayant Patil.
Led by former MP and farmer leader Raju Shetti, the union has demanded one-time payment of FRP and Rs 400 per tonne from mills for the current season.
Members of the organisation deflated tyres of vehicles carrying cane to the mill controlled by Patil and his family. In some cases, vehicles were forced to stop and a minor incident of arson was also reported. The organisation has threatened to intensify their stir in case mills refuse to pay FRP at one go.
Mills in Kolhapur have already announced a one-time payment of FRP which the farmers welcomed.
However, none of the mills in the neighbouring Sangli district has agreed to do so with millers preferring to pay their farmers in instalments. Even before the season began, mills got their farmers to sign agreements where this clause of part payment had been inserted. The farmers organisation has called these agreements invalid.
