Haridwar, Nov. 18 -- Hundreds of sugarcane farmers staged a protest at the office of the Assistant Sugarcane Commissioner in Jwalapur on Monday, demanding immediate reopening of 13 weighing centres attached to the Libberhedi and Laksar sugar mills. The farmers alleged that the centres, earlier operational during the last crushing season, were shut down without consulting cultivators, causing hardships for those transporting cane from remote villages. According to protesters, weighing centres at Brahampur Jat, Khedajat, Budpur Jat, Tikaula Kalan and Sherpur Khalmaun under Libberhedi sugar mill, and Kankarkhata, Niranjanpur, Baditep, Tillakpuri, Alavalpur, Fatva, Bhagtanpur and Rayasi under Laksar sugar mill, have been non-functional this season. Farmers said the sudden closure has forced them to transport cane directly to mills several kilometres away, resulting in delays, higher transport costs. "We are demanding that all the weighing sub-centres be reopened immediately. Farmers from these villages and nearby areas are suffering. We will continue this sit-in protest until we receive a written timeline on the reopening of these centres," said Vikas Saini, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kranti). Shiv Kumar Chauhan, a farmer from Missirpur village, said the system reduces logistical burden. "At weighing sub-centres, the clerk weighs the cane and issues a receipt. After that, the mill staff transport the cane directly to the factory. This saves farmers time and money," he said....