"The Cooperative Sugar Mills would pay Rs. 56 crore out of the balance amount to the sugarcane farmers very soon."This was disclosed here today by the Cooperation Minister, Punjab, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa at the office of Sugarfed Punjab in a meeting held, in the presence of senior officers of the Cooperation Department and General Managers of all the cooperative sugar mills, to take stock of the preparations with regard to the onset of the crushing season 2018-19.S. Randhawa said that out of the amount of Rs. 56 crore, Rs. 21 crore would be paid by the cooperative sugar mills with the assistance of the Punjab State Cooperative Bank while the sanction for the rest Rs. 35 crore amount has been given by the Finance Department. During the course of the meeting the minister emphasized strenuous efforts on the part of the General Managers of the Cooperative sugar mills during the crushing season 2018-19 to ensure good results by the cooperative sugar mills. He also instructed that the recovery rate of sugar in each of the cooperative sugar mill must be over 10 percent and each mill should lay stress on bettering the performance in financial and technical spheres. He also said that no laxity in this regard would be tolerated.On the occasion, it was decided that the cooperative sugar mills would begin the crushing season during the 2nd week of November in accordance with the availability of sugarcane.
The minister directed the General Managers to inform the sugarcane farmers in advance regarding the commencement of crushing season so as to enable them to make arrangements of labour in the nick of time for harvesting purpose.S. Randhawa also elaborated that an online mechanism would be developed before the starting of crushing season to provide information regarding the bonding, supply, weighing and payment of the sugarcane as per which the information with regard to the bonding, receipt, weighing and due payment would be provided to the farmers on their 2 registered mobile numbers. The minister also gave instructions to prepare a computerised calendar system in such a manner that the sugarcane farmers don't have to wait for more than 6 hours in supplying sugarcane to the mills. Divulging more, S. Randhawa said that a letter has been written to the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister to increase the MSP of sugar to Rs. 3500 from the present Rs. 2900 in order to make the balance payments in time to the sugarcane farmers of the country.Among others present in the meeting included Additional Chief Secretary, Cooperation, Mr. D.P. Reddy, Registrar Cooperative Societies Mr. Vikas Garg, MD Sugarfed Punjab Mr. Gurloveleen Singh Sidhu and the MD of the Punjab State Cooperative Bank Dr. S.K. Batish.