Cane department spokesman here said today that all the 16 mills of the group while making payments to the cane farmers at the rate of Rs 110 per quintal, was deducting Rs 10.58 per quintal as cartage charges.
This deduction was held as illegal by the state government on the grounds that it was violative of the Supreme Court directives which had directed the mills to make payments at a flat rate of Rs 110 per quintal in its interim orders issued on May 15 last and FIRs were filed against these mills on Sunday, the spokesman said.
None of the 132 sugar mills in the state barring Bajaj group was deducting cartage charges which was held as unauthorised by the cane department here, the spokesman said.
The total dues of the Bajaj group was Rs 1,408.12 crore. The payment made by the group was Rs 1,346.62 crore and the balance of around Rs 62 crore was the deduction made by way of cartage charge, the spokesman added.