: District collector Daulat Desai has asked the sugar cane mill owners to refrain from procuring sugar cane from neighbouring states until they complete crushing of damaged crop from the district. The decision was taken during a meeting held with mill owners at the district collector office.

Desai also said that an assistant registrar will be appointed at each sugar mill in the district to monitor the crushing of the damaged crop. Veteran activist N D Patil, members of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) and mill owners attended the meeting.

“At the beginning of crushing season, the mills were instructed to take up 30% of the damaged sugar cane along with the 70% good crop. However, they failed to follow the instructions and have furnished wrong information regarding crushing.

Now, the mills have to take up the 70% of the damaged crop and 30% of good crop for crushing until the damaged crop is completely crushe,”.