Image for representation purpose onlyCo-Operation and Sugar Minister HS Mahadevaprasad on Monday informed the Legislative Council that the first instalment of dues that is payable to sugarcane farmers had been released, Deccan Chronicle reported.During the legislature session at Belagavi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had assured farmers that arrears amounting to Rs 923 crore owed by sugar factories for the year 2013-14 would be paid by the government in two instalments.The first instalment amounting to Rs 321 crore had been released to deputy commissioners of sugarcane growing districts who would then deposit Rs 100 per tonne in the accounts of each sugarcane grower at the earliest, said the minister. The second instalment would be released by July 31, he added.He further said that nine lakh tonnes of sugar from 36 sugar factories had been seized by the government across the state.A meeting with owners of all sugar mills has been scheduled for Wednesday to decide the commencement of the next crushing season. However, many factory management have decided not to crush sugarcane to protest the seizure of stock by the government, the report added.