Belagavi (Karnataka), Oct 26 Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday appealed to sugarcane farmers to allow harvesting to continue and called for an amicable solution to their demand for an incentive of Rs 1,000 per tonne, saying the state government, the Centre and sugar factory owners must work together to resolve the issue.
Addressing a meeting with sugarcane farmers here, he said the state government would hold further discussions with officials, factory owners and the Centre before taking a decision, stressing that farmers’ interests must be protected while keeping the financial position of the government and the sugar industry in mind.
“We cannot take any decision without taking the Central government into confidence. Unless the sugar price is fixed, the factory owners will not cooperate,” Shivakumar said.
The Centre had constituted a committee that would visit Karnataka on October 29 and he would present the farmers’ case before it. The CM also said he would hold discussions with his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis and the union minister concerned to find a permanent solution to the problems faced by sugarcane growers.
“I appeal to everyone to first allow farmers to harvest their sugarcane, as any delay will cause them hardship,” he said, urging all stakeholders to cooperate in resolving the issue.
Shivakumar said he had already held discussions with sugar factory owners but would consult officials and convene another round of talks with key leaders and factory representatives before arriving at a decision.
“We will once again call some key leaders and sugar factory representatives, hold discussions with the Central government and convince the committee concerned. We will take a decision at the earliest, and I have requested their cooperation,” he said.
Stressing that the government stood by the farmers, he said their demand deserved consideration and that a lasting solution was necessary.
“Your voice will be my voice. I stand with you. You must also understand the circumstances faced by me and the government,” he said, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on his introductory remarks at the meeting.
The government was ready to argue the farmers’ case before the Centre and was discussing issues related to sugarcane weighing, transportation and other difficulties faced by growers, he stated.
“This is not an issue on which decisions can be taken in haste or in the heat of the moment. We must take everyone into confidence before arriving at a decision,” the CM added.
He said sugar prices had not increased despite a rise in the cost of diesel, fertilisers and pesticides, while sugarcane yields and sugar production had declined. Factory owners had indicated that they could consider providing additional assistance if the minimum selling price of sugar was increased, he said.
“Your demands are not unreasonable. The prices of diesel, fertilisers and pesticides have increased, but sugar prices have not risen,” he said.
Shivakumar said the state was also facing severe financial constraints amid drought conditions, declining power generation and drinking water shortages. Rainfall in Maharashtra had filled the Krishna reservoir, but other reservoirs had not filled up, he said.
The government spends Rs 22,000 crore on electricity for farmers’ pump sets and Rs 7,000 crore on the Gruha Jyothi scheme, with the drought expected to entail an additional expenditure of Rs 9,000 crore this year, he explained.
He also pointed to the cost of purchasing electricity amid shortages and the bills for power used by lift irrigation projects, saying the government’s financial position had to be considered while addressing the farmers’ demands.
Last year, following discussions with sugar factory owners, the government had decided to provide Rs 300 per tonne, he said.
Shivakumar said he had met protesting farmers at Kittur, respecting their agitation, and had assured them that he would discuss the issue with all stakeholders before meeting them again.
He said he had written to the Prime Minister and would take up the issue with the Centre and the Maharashtra CM, adding that a coordinated decision involving the states and the Centre was necessary.
Shivakumar also cautioned against the diversion of Karnataka’s sugarcane to Maharashtra, where factories had already begun crushing.
“We should not allow sugarcane from Karnataka to be diverted there. If it is transported to Maharashtra, our government will lose revenue, and farmers will also suffer,” he said.
Earlier, addressing a meeting with sugar factory owners, Shivakumar said neither farmers nor factories could be protected at the expense of the other.
“We are not taking sides. If there are no sugar factories, farmers will suffer; if there are no farmers, sugar factories will suffer. We must protect the interests of everyone,” he had said.
He said the state government had earlier decided to provide Rs 50 per tonne, while sugar factories were expected to contribute another Rs 250 per tonne following pressure from the government. About 80 per cent of the factories had complied, while some had failed to honour the commitment and approached the courts, he said.
He also said the responsibility for resolving the issue rested with the state government, the Centre and sugar factory owners, adding that the matter could not be settled unilaterally.
Shivakumar said he had discussed the issue with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who had taken note of the concerns of Karnataka’s farmers. He also said the Maharashtra CM had agreed on the need to resolve the issue.
Sugarcane growers have been demanding an incentive of Rs 1,000 per tonne, citing the lack of a revision in sugar prices over the past decade and rising cultivation costs.
Farmers had staged a protest at Gurlapur in Belagavi district’s Mudalagi taluk on Sunday, blocking a state highway to press their demand.
During a meeting with farmers at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here, two groups of growers reportedly came to blows over the incentive demand. District authorities, agriculture department officials and police intervened to calm them down.
Sources said the disagreement arose after the groups differed over the compensation they should seek, with one group agreeing to reduce its demand from Rs 6,000 to Rs 5,500 per tonne and another reportedly proposing Rs 4,500 per tonne.
(PTI News)
