Pune, May 4 (PTI) A sugar mill linked to Nationalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar has been slapped with a fine of Rs 4.5 lakh for allegedly allowing sugarcane into its premises before the date stipulated by the Maharashtra government, an official said on Thursday.

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The Baramati Agro sugar mill is located in Shetphalgadhe in Indapur tehsil in Pune and has been accused of starting the cane crushing process before the date prescribed the state government.

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A video clip of sugarcane being brought into the mill's premises was submitted as proof by those seeking action, Sugar Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad.

"However, during our probe it was found that this electronic evidence (video clips) could not establish that cane crushing was underway in the mill. But the mill could not give proof of receipts being given to farmers for the cane brought in or whether these were weighed," he said.

Since 900 tonnes of cane were found at the mill, a fine of Rs 500 per tonne, adding up to Rs 4.5 lakh, was imposed, Gaikwad added.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Ram Shinde had raised this issue in the Legislative Council recently and had sought strict action against the sugar mill.

Incidentally, Shinde was defeated by Rohit Pawar in the 2019 Assembly polls from Karjat Jamkhed in Ahmednagar district.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)