Reopen Alanganallur sugar mill: Farmers
Madurai: Sugarcane farmers from Madurai district undertook a walking protest to the collector’s office demanding the government to reopen National Cooperative Sugar Mills at Alanganallur. However, their protest was curtailed as the police denied them permission and brought them to the Madurai collector’s office in their vehicles.
The mill has remained closed for the last three years and the farmers have been demanding the government to reopen it. After pressure from the farmers and local minister P Moorthy, a team of special officers was formed to inspect the feasibility of restarting the production and prepare the estimate.
The team assigned to study the feasibility estimated that it would require 26 crore in which 10 crore would be set aside for reviving machinery and the remaining amount to clear the dues for the workers. “Even after discussing the subject in the assembly nothing happened and it remained closed,” said N Palanisamy, a sugarcane farmer’s leader.
The 20km walking protest was planned to start from Alanganallur and end in the collector’s office via Achampatti, Pannakudi, Veerapandi, Oomachikulam, Alathur, Kadachanenthal and K Pudur. But the farmers were stopped at Achampatti itself and were informed that there is no permission for such protest. Irked by this, the farmers held a road roko causing traffic congestion.
They warned that they would not stop with this walking protest and continue protesting through various forms till the government reopens the mill. They later submitted their petition to Madurai collector M S Sangeetha during the public grievance redressal meeting.
It maybe recalled that state agriculture minister M R K Pannerselvam who addressed the farmers at Alanganallur on June 25, 2022 said that the state government would put all its might to restart the mill.
