A firm led by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has approached the Bombay High Court, challenging the Maharashtra government’s decision to impose a levy on sugarcane crushing to fund the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and two other welfare bodies, reported PTI.
On Thursday, a vacation bench of Justice Manjusha Deshpande directed Baramati Agro Ltd to deposit 50 per cent of the total levy amount under all three categories within three days. The court said this would allow the authorities to process the company’s crushing licence while the petition is pending.
“In the meantime, the authority shall process the petitioner’s crushing licence in view of the undertaking given,” the bench stated. It also clarified that if the petition is successful, the deposited sum would be refunded with interest.
The court has issued notices to the state government and other concerned parties, scheduling the next hearing for November 13, reported PTI.
The Maharashtra government had announced a levy of Rs. 10 per tonne of cane crushed each for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and the Gopinath Munde Sugarcane Workers Welfare Corporation, and Rs. 5 per tonne towards the Flood Relief Fund.
Baramati Agro’s plea contests a letter dated October 27 issued by the Commissioner of Sugar, informing all sugar mills about the September 30 policy decision imposing the levy for the 2025–26 crushing season. As per the letter, unless the amounts so directed are deposited, a licence for the crushing season 2025-26 shall not be issued to the sugar mils.
As per the news report by PTI, senior counsel Girish Godbole, representing Baramati Agro Ltd, argued that making the licence conditional on such payments was “onerous” and lacked legislative backing. He also informed the court that similar petitions were pending before the Kolhapur bench, where petitioners had agreed to pay 50 per cent of the levy while their cases were being heard.
Baramati Agro expressed willingness to pay 50 per cent of the levy towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and the Gopinath Munde Sugarcane Workers Welfare Corporation but sought exemption from the Rs. 5 per tonne Flood Relief Fund levy, claiming it lacked executive or legislative support.
However, Justice Deshpande directed the firm to deposit 50 per cent of the levy under all three heads within three days to ensure its 2025–26 crushing licence is processed.
