KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urged all sides concerned to immediately pay the sugarcane farmers outstanding dues owed to them.

Issuing a press release on Monday, NHRC spokesperson Tikaram Pokharel has urged local administrations and the Government of Nepal to immediately pay the farmers the amount owed to them by sugar industries and realise that amount from the latter as outstanding dues to the government.

NHRC also urged the government to promptly bring to law the entrepreneurs not obeying government's directives and not paying the farmers their dues after purchasing sugarcane from them.

"NHRC draws the attention of the government and sugar producing companies to implement the agreements reached in the past with the farmers, to enforce the laws enacted for protection of the rights and interests of farmers in an effective manner, to become serious in addressing the farmers' problems, to respect the farmers' labour, and to protect their fundamental rights and human rights," reads the press release.

Sugarcane farmers from Sarlahi, Rautahat, Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, among other districts are waging a demonstration in Kathmandu since December 12 calling for the payment of dues owed to them by sugar industries and implementation of agreement the government signed with them in the past.

They also complained that the sugar factories were purchasing their sugarcane at prices lower than that determined by the government.