Siddaramaiah to Discuss Maharashtra Model on Price Fixation for Sugarcane Growers
Siddaramaiah pointed out that in reality the role of the State Government in sugarcane issues is limited while the Union Government has a major role.
Bengaluru: Over sugarcane growers resorting to protest in Belagavi since a week demanding that they be paid Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday stated to hold separate meetings with owners of sugar factories and sugarcane growers at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru to arrive at a decision with the limits of the State Government. While a meeting of owners of sugar factories will be held at 11 am, the meeting with sugarcane growers is scheduled at 1 pm.
The Chief Minister said he has taken note of some farmers' demands of price fixation made by sugar factories in Maharashtra and stated “As far I concerned, Maharashtra sugar factories fixed prices ranging from Rs 2,515 per tonne of sugarcane to Rs 3, 635. The meetings with sugar factories and sugarcane growers will discuss price fixation in Maharashtra.”
Siddaramaiah said Belagavi Deputy Commissioner held discussion with agitation sugarcane growers and brought to the notice of farmers that owners of sugar factories have convinced to pay Rs 3,200 per tonne if the recovery is 11.25 while Rs 3,100 (excluding harvesting and transportations fares) will be paid if the recovery is 10.25.
Efforts are on to install digital weighing machines from the State Government for proper readings of sugarcane supplied to sugar factories, said the Chief Minister and stated his government initiated measures to check cheats at the time of weighing. Besides, weighing of sugarcane is free at APMCs and a Committee has been formed to monitor weighing, harvesting, yields and bill payments.
The Chief Minister pointed out that in reality the role of the State Government in sugarcane issues is limited while the Union Government has a major role. Every year, it is the Union Government which fixes Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP). The State Government’s role is to monitor whether sugarcane growers get the payments as fixed by the Union Government within a stipulated time.
However, the Chief Minister was unhappy over the “biased” attitude of the Union Government in dealing with sugarcane growers and accused the Opposition leaders of “instigating” innocent farmers against the ruling State Government.
He appealed to sugarcane growers not to get carried away by the words of Opposition parties especially the Bharatiya Janata Party government and accused the BJP of trying to gain “political mileage” out of the issue.