Farmers and employees outraged as Simbhavali sugar mill gets no relief in cane allotment

A serious crisis has emerged for the crushing season at the Simbhavali sugar mill in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur district, leaving thousands of farmers in a state of uncertainty. According to a report by Amar Ujala, the mill has received no relief regarding its demand to increase sugarcane allotment. Consequently, approximately 450 employees, concerned about their livelihoods, have announced a strike. All these employees will hold a sit-in protest within the mill premises starting Wednesday.

The entire dispute began with delays in sugarcane payments. Following directives from the Cane Commissioner, a total of 184 centres of both Simbhavali and Brajnathpur sugar mills in Hapur have been cut off due to payment delays. These removed centres have now been linked to other sugar mills in Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Bulandshahr. This decision has hit the Simbhavali mill the hardest, as it is now left with only 6 centres, while the Brajnathpur mill has only 4 centres remaining.

The daily crushing capacity of the Simbhavali mill is over 60,000 quintals, but in the current situation, it has become difficult to secure even 10,000 quintals of sugarcane per day. The Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) managing the mill had appealed to the Cane Commissioner to increase the sugarcane allotment, but no positive response or relief has been received so far.

Outraged employees have adopted the path of agitation. Narayan Singh, president of the Simbhavali Sugar Mills Labour Union, submitted a memorandum to the in-charge of the Simbhavali police station and announced a sit-in and demonstration at the mill from Wednesday. Narayan Singh stated that approximately 450 employees would participate in this movement. Due to the mill not being operational, hundreds of employees' families are facing a livelihood crisis. He warned that if their demands are not met, they will also hold protests and sit-ins at the Collectorate.

On the other hand, the crushing season at the Brajnathpur sugar mill began on November 11 (Wednesday). District Cane Officer (DCO) Angad Singh stated that the indent for this mill has been completed. Currently, this mill will only receive sugarcane from four centres and the cane allotted at the mill gate. The centres of Bhatail, Hasanpur Kankar, Mirpur Kalan, and Kathikheda are currently linked with the Brajnathpur sugar mill. Additionally, sugarcane from an area of 3,217 hectares is linked to the mill. Angad Singh clarified that no specific date for starting the Simbhavali mill has been provided by the management, and currently, the indent for the Simbhavali mill could not be issued.

The administration is now considering a new option. Neither mill has sufficient sugarcane to crush according to their capacity. Therefore, preparations are being made to link the remaining 6 centres allotted to the Simbhavali mill with the Brajnathpur sugar mill, although this proposal has not yet received official approval.

Meanwhile, Pawan Hoon, the district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), has issued a stern warning. He stated that only 6 centres remain linked with the Simbhavali mill, and the farmers associated with these centres are desperate for their payments. Pawan Hoon clarified that the official who issues the indent in the new season will have to take responsibility for the farmers' payments and ensure they are paid.