Maharashtra: Report of panel probing sugarcane weighing complaints expected soon

Mumbai: The Government of Maharashtra has set up an inquiry committee to examine complaints from farmers about alleged manipulation of weighing scales at sugar mills, with the panel expected to submit its report soon, Lokmat reported.

The committee, comprising technical officials from the Legal Metrology Department, has been tasked with reviewing the sugarcane weighing process and recommending measures to ensure transparency and prevent farmers from being underpaid.

Every year during the crushing season, several complaints are received by the offices of the regional joint directors of sugar regarding discrepancies in cane weighing. Farmers have alleged that mills sometimes show lower weights for the cane supplied by them. However, inspections carried out by the Legal Metrology Department have often reported that the weighing scales are functioning properly, creating a gap between farmers’ claims and official findings.

To address the issue, the committee was set up to study the current system and suggest improvements. Officials are examining technological solutions, including connecting weighing scales at all sugar mills in the state to a central online server. Such a system could help detect any tampering instantly and alert authorities.

The panel is also expected to review the existing standard operating procedures and recommend changes to strengthen monitoring and transparency.

Officials said the move is aimed at improving transparency in cane procurement and addressing long-standing concerns of sugarcane farmers in the state.

Meanwhile, farmers have reiterated their demand to introduce government-monitored digital weighing systems at all sugar mills, citing repeated complaints of discrepancies in sugarcane weighing. The Kisan Morcha district president Ankushrao Kale-Patil recently met Dr. Sanjay Kolte, Sugar Commissioner of Maharashtra, and submitted a memorandum seeking government intervention.

In the memorandum, the farmers’ group demanded that a transparent digital system be introduced from the 2026–27 crushing season. It proposed installing digital weighing scales at all sugar mills under government supervision and linking them directly to a central government server so that the weight of every sugarcane vehicle is recorded in official records.

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