New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS): District authorities in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, have filed FIRs against two sugar mill owners for not starting crushing work.

First information reports (FIRs) have been filed against promoter-directors Tarun Sawhney of Triveni Engineering & Industries Limited which has sugar mills in Muzaffarnagar and Gautam Goel of Dhampur Sugar Mills Limited.

Officials said the FIRs were filed on the directive of the UP government under the Essential Commodities Act.

Terming the move "harsh coercive measures", the UP Sugar Mills Association demanded that the FIRs should be immediately withdrawn so that they did not worsen the already complicated situation.

"We wish to convey our strong displeasure and regret on such harsh coercive measures despite the fact that the industry has been regularly apprising your goodself and other senior functionaries of the state regarding our various problems and extremely precarious financial condition which is threatening the very survival of the sugar industry," the association said in a letter addressed to the UP chief secretary.

"We strongly urge the state government to immediately quash the said FIR’s so that it does not vitiate the already complicated situation for which all concerned are trying to find a solution," it said.

"We would also like to submit here unequivocally that Promoters should not be singled out for coercive action as mentioned above," the letter added.

Industry sources meanwhile said promoters of private sugar mills met the chief secretary and other government officials Wednesday.

They reiterated their request for a long term, transparent pricing mechanism for sugarcane.

The talks remained inconclusive.