Jalandhar: In Jalandhar, the issue surrounding the Phagwara sugar mill and the pending dues of sugarcane growers has taken a new turn. Two days ago, the Doaba Kisan Union had urged sugarcane farmers not to endorse a letter that purportedly represented the sentiments of local sugarcane cultivators, seeking the reopening of the Phagwara Sugar Mill until their outstanding payments are settled. However, today, farmers from various regions converged and presented the same letter to the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Kapurthala, reiterating their demand for the mill’s resumption, reported Tribune India.
The letter, addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Kapurthala, calls for the immediate reopening of the mill to resolve the difficulties faced by sugarcane farmers in the area.
Earlier, the BKU (Doaba) had raised doubts about the authenticity of the letter, asserting that neither the farmers nor the union itself had issued it. Manjit Singh Rai, the state president of BKU, had issued a statement expressing suspicion that certain individuals were distributing the letter in villages to restart the mill. However, the letter submitted to the Kapurthala ADC bears the signatures of more than 70 farmers.
Some of the signatories to the letter revealed a mixed response during the interaction. While there were varying opinions about the letter’s origin, all farmers were united in their demand for the settlement of pending dues owed to sugarcane growers in the region and expressed support for reopening the mill.
