Chandigarh, Nov 3 (IANS): Dues of Rs 41 crore of sugarcane farmers in the Doaba region in Punjab pending against Golden Sandhar Mills Ltd in Phagwara will be cleared by March 31, 2024, state Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said.

The Minister, along with Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture) K.A.P. Sinha, was chairing a meeting with sugarcane farmers led by BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai and BKU (Lakhowal) president Harinder Singh here.

Khudian directed Deputy Commissioner Karnail Singh to ensure payment of Rs 9.72 crore to farmers by the mill owner and the first installment of around Rs 2 crore should be paid before starting the cane crushing season this year.

He asked officials to open the mill, which has been sealed for a few days following protests, so that required repairs would be ensured to make it operational before the beginning of the crushing season.

In a related development, management of Dhuri Sugar Mill, located in the Chief Minister’s constituency, last week announced closure of the mill, saying anti-social influence and disruption led to the agonizing decision to close the mill.

In a statement the mill owners said, "Their constant appeals for support from both the current and previous state governments in Punjab have largely fallen on deaf ears, leaving them to bear the weight of their losses alone."

"The choice to shut down operations was not made in haste. It came after numerous attempts were made to seek support from the government to help the mill navigate the deteriorating law and order situation in and around the mill and the lack of adequate raw material. “With no sign of support from the government, the owners, in a bid to save not only their livelihoods but also the livelihoods of countless farmers, ultimately had no choice but to make this agonizing decision."