Ghaziabad DM asks passport office to impound sugar mill owner's passport over non-payment of sugarcane dues

Coming down heavily on a sugar mill owner for allegedly erring on sugarcane payments to farmers, the Ghaziabad district administration has asked the regional passport office to impound his passport.

In an official communique, District magistrate Ritu Maheshwari said the action was initiated against Umesh Kumar Modi, owner of Modi Sugar Mills, for non-payment of dues.

On Friday, the sub-divisional magistrate confiscated 7,000 quintals of sugar form a godown of the mill, the communique said.

Besides several offices and the refining section of the Modi Nagar-based sugar mill, and a farm house in Sikri Khurd village and other immovable properties have also been attached, it said.

On December 14, a recovery certificate was issued by the sugarcane commissioner against Umesh Modi. Till date around 173 crore rupees arrear of farmers is due on the sugar mill owner.

Though Modi has applied for a soft loan under a special scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government to pay the dues of farmers, but it was not sanctioned due to inadequate securities, the DM said.

The state government has already issued recovery certificates against eight sugar mills, including two units of Modi in Modi Nagar and Malakpur for non-payment of dues of 2017-18.