BENGALURU: The State Government has directed the sugar factories to clear pending bills of farmers in the next two days (by October 3), failing which action will be initiated against them.
Directives to the factories were issued after Minister of Sugarcane Development and Sugar Shankar Patil Munenakoppa chaired a meeting with senior officials of the department and representatives of sugar factories in Bengaluru on Friday.
According to a statement issued by the department, Basaveshwara Sugars Ltd, Vijayapura district (Rs 2,211 lakh), Nirani Sugars Ltd, Mudhol (Rs 567 lakh) Someshwara SSK Ltd (Rs 68 lakh) and Saipriya Sugars Ltd, Bagalkot (Rs 415 lakh) are among the seven factories that are yet to clear the bills for 2020-21 crushing season. The minister said that the State Government is committed to protecting the sugar industry, but its priority is to protect the interests of farmers.