Bijnor: Four sugar mills in the district are yet to clear more than Rs 195 crore in cane payments, according to official figures released on Saturday, Amar Ujala reported.
The highest outstanding amount of Rs 147.06 crore is pending at Bilai Sugar Mill. At Chandpur Sugar Mill, dues stand at Rs 27.32 crore, while Rs 16.95 crore remains unpaid at Bijnor Sugar Mill. Najibabad Sugar Mill has Rs 4.65 crore in pending payments.
Data from the cane department show that in the ongoing crushing season, Bilai Sugar Mill has cleared 39.14 per cent of the value of cane purchased so far. Chandpur Sugar Mill has paid 83.47 per cent, Bijnor Sugar Mill 87.04 per cent and Najibabad Sugar Mill 95.24 per cent.
The district has around 2.55 lakh hectares under sugarcane cultivation. Ten sugar mills are currently operating in the district, along with hundreds of small crushers and power-operated units processing cane.
Officials said that six mills are not only clearing payments on time but are also paying farmers in advance. These include Dhampur Sugar Mill, Syohara Sugar Mill, Bahadarpur Sugar Mill, Barkatpur Sugar Mill, Bundki Sugar Mill and Changipur Sugar Mill.
District Cane Officer P.N. Singh said efforts are being made to ensure that mills clear cane payments on time. He added that nearly six mills in the district are currently ahead in making payments to farmers.
