Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ghanashyam Bhusal has said sugar mill owners have absconded without paying the sugarcane farmers.
Speaking in the Industry, Commerce, and Consumer Welfare Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Monday, he revealed that owner of Annapurna Sugar Mill Rakesh Agrawal and Mahalaxmi Sugar Mill Birendra Kanaudia are out of contact, and assured that the government is looking for them.
The committee after the meeting has instructed the government to immediately get the sugarcane farmers paid, and punish those dallying to pay the farmers. The committee gave the instruction after the agitating sugarcane farmers attended the committee meeting to tell their problems.
The farmers revealed that Annapurna has to pay Rs 500 million and Mahalaxmi R 210 million. They also complained that they have not received the government grant, and are not getting a fair price for sugarcane.
The sugarcane farmers from tarai have been protesting in Maitighar for the past few days demanding they be paid for their crops.