Kathmandu, December 14
Sugarcane farmers from various southern districts who have launched a protest in Kathmandu have rejected the government call to sit for talks so as to solve the issue.
Demanding that the government and sugar mills implement a deal signed with them in the first week of January this year, the farmers have been staging the protest at Maitighar Mandala of Kathmandu from Sunday.
The farmers had launched a demonstration at the same place in December last year for several days demanding the sugar mills pay them outstanding bills on time. The agitation had ended in a five-point agreement, in which the government had agreed to coordinate efforts to make industrialists clear all dues within January 21.
However, one year later, the farmers came back to the capital claiming the government and the industrialists cheated them.
On the second day of the protest, an official of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies telephoned Hari Shyam Raya, a leader of the protesters, calling for talks. “But, we said we would not talk on credit. We have understood that a closed-door talk will not give any solution. The minister should come to Maitighar carrying the payments for us.”
Meanwhile, the ministry also summoned sugar mill operators in a bid to solve the issue. The ministry’s spokesperson Narayan Regmi says the operators of six mills that have yet to pay Rs 900 million to the farmers have been called for the talks.
