Chandigarh, Aug 12 (IANS): Fulfilling a promise, the Punjab government on Friday said it has released Rs 100 crore for pending payments of sugarcane growers.
The amount was deposited in the accounts of the farmers.
An official statement quoting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Rs 295.60 crore was the pending arrears of sugarcane farmers which had to be paid by the government and cooperative sugar mills in the state.
He said out of this Rs 100 crore was paid by the government on July 29. Mann said the remaining arrears were Rs 195.60 crores and he had promised the farmers that out of this, Rs 100 crore will be paid by August 15 and the remaining Rs 95.60 crore will be cleared by September 7.
Mann said the government released Rs 100 crore as payment to the farmers on Thursday.