KATHMANDU – Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Lekhraj Bhatta has said that he has received phone calls from political leaders to not arrest sugar mill owners who have not clear their dues they owe to farmers.
Speaking at a meeting of Industry, Commerce, Labor and Consumer Protection Committee of the parliament on Thursday, he revealed that he has received pressure from political leaders to not arrest sugar mill owners who haven’t pais to farmers for their sugarcanes.
“Some leaders write posts in social media advocating for sugarcane farmers, but they make a phone call to ask not to arrest sugar mill owners. What type of character is this?” he questioned. Industry Minister Bhatta, however, did not disclose the name of leaders who asked him not to arrest sugar mill owners.
Following an instruction from the Ministry of Home Affairs to District Administration Offices to arrest those sugar mill owners who have not paid sugarcane farmers, arrest warrants have been issued against Shree Ram Sugar Mill’s owners Hitesh Golchha, Bishal Agrawal and Padam Kant Jha. The police has started a manhunt for sugar mill owners after receiving a letter from the District Police Office, Rautahat, according to Pramesh Bista, DSP of Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu.
The government had recently decided to arrest sugarmill owners who have not cleared their dues to farmers. Sugarcane farmers from various districts are staging a protest in Kathmandu demanding that their dues be cleared immediately.
