Sangrur, Punjab: The district administration has granted one more week to a private mill located in Dhuri to clear pending cane dues of Rs 7.82 crore and postponed the scheduled auction of the mill, reports Hindustan Times.
Apart from the cane dues, the mill has also defaulted on the tax of Rs 46 crore as per the claims of the excise and taxation department.
In the meantime, farmers gathered outside the mill and did not allow the officials to leave.
Avtar Singh, leader of the Ganna Sangharsh Committee, said, “The administration deliberately brought the excise and taxation department into the picture to delay the auction. The excise officials are claiming that the mill owes tax since 1974 but why have they not recovered it earlier?”
“The process of auctioning was a mere eyewash and they have given one more week to the mill. The mill owes Rs 8 crore as cane dues of more than 500 farmers for the 2021-22 season,” he further added.
Amit Gupta, Dhuri sub-divisional magistrate said that he is still inside the mill and discussing the issue with the management.
