SANGAREDDY: Taking cognisance of the failure of the Trident Sugar Limited management to pay the dues to sugarcane farmers in Zaheerabad, the district administration is set to take action against the owners under the Telangana Revenue Recovery (TRR) Act, 1864. If the management does not clear the dues of farmers and workers by February 28, the authorities will sell the firm’s assets to clear the outstanding payment, sources said.
A committee, led by Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, has been established to oversee the measures required to revive the sugar industry. In addition to instructing the reopening of the factory, the management has been directed to settle all outstanding dues owed to the farmers.
Despite earlier warnings, the firm failed to correct the issue, resulting in the factory being shut down by authorities in the latter half of 2023. In the past, farmers have raised the issue of outstanding dues of Rs 7 crore with the company management and even launched agitation programmes demanding immediate payment. However, the Trident Sugars management remained unresponsive.
District cane commissioner Rajasekhar said a notice has been sent to the management to clear the dues by February 28, following which the industry’s property will be auctioned. Officials are now preparing a list of properties to be auctioned.
District collector Valluru Kranthi held a meeting with the industry owners, Nizam Sugars Revival committee members, Zaheerabad MLA Manik Rao, DCMS chairman Sivakumar, and representatives of the farmers on Wednesday. Criminal cases would be filed against the owners if they failed to clear the dues by February 28, the collector said.
Additional challenges
For years, numerous farmers have cultivated sugarcane in the Zaheerabad region since the inception of the Nizam Sugar Factory. Zaheerabad was once renowned as a prime location for sugarcane cultivation. However, the current operational challenges facing the industry have placed burdens on these farmers.
Frequently, farmers have been forced to transport their sugarcane crops to Ganapati Sugars near Sangareddy and to factories in Nizamabad and Karnataka, incurring additional transportation costs. This situation has added to the financial strain experienced by farmers.
In light of these difficulties, sugarcane farmers earnestly appeal to the government to intervene, facilitating the industry’s restoration and ensuring the prompt settlement of dues by Trident Sugars owners.