Notices to 15 mills for underpaying cane farmers

Within a month of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Sugar Factories Federation raising an alarm over a purported financial crisis in the industry, saying it was coming in the way of payment of fair and remunerative prices (FRP) to cane farmers, 15 sugar mills in the state have received notices from the sugar commissioner for paying farmers less than 60% of the FRP.

- Saurabha Kulshreshtha

MUMBAI:

A majority of the mills are located in Solapur district and associated with leaders of various political parties. Prominent in the list are NCP minister for relief and rehabilitation Makrand Patil, who is associated with the Kisan Veer sugar factory in Satara and BJP MLA Subhas Deshmukh, who is associated with the Lokmangal sugar factory in Solapur.