Kathmandu, Dec 21

The Sriram Sugar Mills has begun paying its dues to the sugarcane farmers. It has claimed to have paid Rs. 250 million in the two days—on last Friday and Sunday. Issuing a statement here today, the Mills has said that Rs 160 million was released on Friday and 80 million on Sunday.

The amount was deposited in the bank accounts of the respective farmers. According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Sri Ram Sugar Mills is to pay the farmers a total of Rs. 350 million. This means, it has yet to pay Rs. 100 million. The Lumbini Sugar Mills has to pay back Rs. 80.4 million, Indira Sugar Mills Rs. 47 million and Annapurna Sugar Mills Rs. 170 million.

It may be noted that sugarcane farmers are currently staging a demonstration in Kathmandu, calling for their due payments as per the agreement reached between the government, the sugar mill owners and the sugarcane farmers in January earlier this year. —