The Punjab cane commissioner has ordered action against six sugar mills in the province for defaulting on dues of Rs 9.35 billion owed to sugar cane growers, 24NewsHd TV channel reported on Tuesday. 

The mills, some of which are connected to prominent political leaders, have withheld the huge amount the poor growers of Punjab province.  

The Punjab Cane Commissioner issued show-cause notices under the Land Revenue Act to 6 different defaulters’ sugar mills.  The sugar mills owners have been directed that under section 13 (2) of the Sugar Factories (Control) Act 1950, they are bound to pay the growers’ dues directly into the accounts of the growers within 15 days of the supply of the sugarcane, but they are not paying their dues from the last six months. 

He directed the respective district administration of these mills to act according to the law for the earliest clearance of the dues.

 According to the documents, the RYK has turned out to be the biggest insolvent sugar mills that has to pay Rs 3.92 billion to farmers. 

Tandlianwala Kanjwani Sugar Mills has to pay Rs830 million, Rehman Hajra Sugar Mills Rs1.58 billion, Medina Sugar Mills Rs950 million, Adam Sugar Mills Rs300 million, and Ashraf Sugar Mills Rs 840 million to the farmers.