No relief for UP sugar mill owners from SC

New Delhi, Sep 1 (UNI) Taking serious note of the attitude of the sugar mill owners of Uttar Pradesh in delaying the payment of the dues of the farmers, the Supreme Court today refused to extend the September 6 deadline for clearing the dues of sugarcane growers even by two days.

A bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and M K Sharma while refusing to extend the deadline by two days that is till September 8, directed the petitioner, who include the Eastern UP Sugarmill Owners Association, to stick to the deadline of September 6 fixed by the Allahabad High Court in its order dated July 7, this year.

The High Court has directed the mill owners to clear the dues of all the farmers running into several hundred crores of rupees by September 6.

The Uttar Pradesh government in 2007 had fixed the procurement price of sugarcane at Rs 125 per quintal. The High Court, however, directed the sugar mill owners to pay the farmers at the rate of Rs 110 per quintal.

In its final judgement, the High Court dismissed the petitions of the mill owners and directed them to pay the difference of Rs 15 per quintal to the farmers by September 6. The sugarmill owners today pleaded for more time till September 8 to clear the dues.

The apex court, however, refused to stay the operation of the High Court order even by two days and directed the petitioners to clear all dues by previously fixed date.

The apex court will hear the petitioner on September 8.

UNI SC BDP RP RAI1815