By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 29: Sugarcane farmers and the government inked a four-point agreement on Monday ending the Kathmandu-centric agitation.
In a meeting held at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies today, a four-point agreement was reached between the representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the agitating farmers, said Dr. Narayan Prasad Regmi, spokesperson of the Ministry.
As per the agreement, the government agreed to make arrangement to pay all the dues to the farmers within 21 days, he said.
He said that the farmers’ representatives were ready to postpone the ongoing agitation in Kathmandu after reaching an understanding with the government.
“If it is not possible for the ministry to take the initiative to get the arrears from the industrialists within 21 days, the farmers’ representatives agreed to begin legal process,” he told The Rising Nepal.
Apart from this, it has been agreed to form a technical committee to resolve the issues and problems including the difference in payment and grant amount, said Regmi.
The committee will have representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Nepal Sugar Producers Association and sugarcane farmers’ struggle committee.
The committee will submit a report to the concerned authority within 120 days to resolve the existing problems of sugarcane farmers, the ministry said.
Sugarcane farmers from the Terai have been protesting in Kathmandu since December 12 demanding payment of their dues by the sugar mills.
The farmers had staged demonstrations in Kathmandu a year ago demanding repayment of their loans. At that time, the industrialists did not clear the dues even after agreeing to pay the money.
Regmi said that remaining sugar mills have agreed to pay all the money to the farmers within three weeks.
He said that the sugar mills have been depositing money in their bank accounts to pay the dues of the farmers, he said, adding that they had deposited around Rs. 360 million in the last two weeks.
President of sugarcane farmers’ struggle committee Ram Swartha Ray said that they agreed to postpone the agitation after the government agreed to take initiative to clear their dues within 21 days.
“We are hopeful that the government will make effort to clear the dues we are to receive from sugar mills within three weeks. This agitation should be last for all cane farmers,” he said.