KATHMANDU, Dec 16: Sugarcane farmers have rejected the call from the government for a dialogue. They reportedly denied the offer, as the government failed to meet its earlier commitments to provide them their due payments.
The sugarcane farmers have taken to the streets in order to press the concerned authorities to address their long-standing demand of timely payments for their produce from the sugar industry owners.
“We are not against a dialogue, but are ready to return home soon after we are paid,” said Rakesh Mishra, Coordinator of the Sugarcane Farmers Struggle Committee, Sarlahi.
Mishra said they returned home following a similar protest in the capital last year after receiving commitments from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies to facilitate their payments.
However, it did not materialize hence the farmers do not want to following the same path, and get disappointed at the end.
He also said that a written request has been made to the government to pay them from the state funds. “The government can recover the amount from the industrialists along with interest,” Mishra said.
Meanwhile, the stakeholder ministry, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has said that it was willing to address the demands raised by the farmers but the latter were not even ready for a dialogue.
“We have invited them repeatedly for a dialogue, but they are yet to turn up,” Joint Secretary at the Ministry Dr Narayan Regmi said.
