Sugar barons may face criminal proceedings

In all 36 sugar barons in Maharashtra might face criminal proceedings if dues worth Rs 700 crore calculated as per the statutory minimum price (SMP) are not paid to sugarcane growers before June 30. The state sugar commissioner's office has issued directives to file criminal cases and if necessary, attach properties of the directors of these 36 cooperative sugar factories, if the dues are not cleared before the deadline, sources confirmed. The move is considered to be critical, as most these defaulters are political heavyweights from across the state. The sugar commissioner's office had received complaints from farmers about these sugar factories following which, an eqnuiry was conducted into this entire matter. The same has revealed that these 36 factories have not observed the mandatory SMP regulations and paid less compensation to sugarcane growers. The state sugar commissioner Rajgopal Deora, on Monday issued these orders and a notice each has been sent to the concerned sugar factories. The prominent defaulter sugar factories include Bhima-Patas, Yeshwant, Adinath, Makaai, Bhogavati, Meenai, Niphad, Nashik Factory and others. Directors of some of these factories are considered to be close to State Assembly speaker Shivaji Deshmukh, member of legislative assembly Ranjana Kul and state transport corporation chairman Sudhakar Paricharak, sources revealed. The enquiry also revealed that the concerned factories have received the benefits of a special package released by NABARD but have still not cleared the dues. The sugar commissioner's office has already initiated a criminal proceeding against the director of Samarth cooperative sugar factory in Kolhapur. By Ms.Bobby Aanand, Metropolitan Jury.

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