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Bengaluru, Nov 6 (IANS) Union Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday urged the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka state government to act responsibly and hold talks with sugarcane farmers on their demands.
Speaking to the media at Jagannath Bhavan, the BJP’s state headquarters in Bengaluru, he said: “The state government, some ministers and the chief minister have been making statements about sugarcane pricing. The central government fixes the fair and remunerative price (FRP) before the start of each crushing season. We have now fixed the FRP at Rs 350 per quintal.”
He said that earlier after the start of ethanol procurement, there was a delay of three to four years in payment.
“Now, 97.2 per cent payment of the last sugar season has already been made. The state government should hold talks with factory owners and farmers to reach a proper solution. They should not worsen the situation by issuing irresponsible statements,” he said.
The Union Minister further said that sugar mill owners have requested permission for export.
“We estimate that there will be about 15-20 lakh tonnes of surplus sugar, and we will allow export of about 15 lakh tonnes,” he announced. “They have also sought permission to export molasses, which we have already approved,” he said.
He stressed, “Farmers are demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne, while the Center has fixed FRP at Rs 350 and has also allowed exports. The state government should address the legitimate concerns of farmers. The Chief Minister and ministers should intervene to resolve the issue. Wasting time unnecessarily is not acceptable.”
Joshi commented, “Wasting time through political statements does not suit any state government.”
He further said: “Last time, the ethanol blend was 35 lakh metric tonnes – about 20 per cent. Due to this, sugar mills have achieved significant stability. The government should negotiate and resolve the issue. Allowing farmers to protest on the streets is undesirable,” he said.
“When Karnataka ministers first approached us with the issues, we resolved them. We increased the FRP from Rs 340 to Rs 350. From now on, don’t waste a single moment – don’t let farmers sit on the streets,” he urged.
Responding to a question, he said, “If the Chief Minister has called a meeting then it is good. He should talk and solve the problem.”
Farmers in the North Karnataka region have been protesting for over a week demanding that factories fix the procurement price of sugarcane at Rs 3,500 per tonne. The state unit of BJP has extended its support to the protests.
Farmer organizations have given a deadline of 7 pm on Thursday (November 6) to take a decision and warned that they will start blocking national highways from Friday (November 7).
–IANS
MKA/PGH