Kumaraswamy to hold a meeting between sugar mill owners and sugarcane framers.

BENGALURU: On Thursday the Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy will be holding a potentially decisive meeting with the owner of the sugar mill to end the dispute between them and the sugarcane farmers regarding the pending dues and also to fix a price for the crops for the current season that will be acceptable by both the sides.

The meeting is scheduled to be held in Krishna, the CM’s home office. While there is no proper clarity on how many mill owners will be eventually taking part, the former minister Satish Jarkiholi, who owns a sugar factory, told the reporters in Belagavi that he will be attending the meeting. Many of the big sugar mills in the state are owned by politicians and farmers have alleged that the Jarkiholi brothers, Satish and Ramesh, have the largest dues which are pending.

A farmer leader has said that the Belagavi district minister Ramesh Jarkiholi owes the farmers more than 17 crore. The minister has been dismissed from the charge, by saying that he will resign if it is proved.

According to government records, the mills owe the farmers 35.2 crore. But farmers have put the figures at around 480 crore.

“The dues the government records show is as per the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of 2017. But many mills in Belagavi, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Bidar districts agreed to pay up to 500 per tonne over and above FRP. That makes the dues of the sugar mills around 480 crore,” said Kurubur Shanthakumar, the president of the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association.

“The government may negotiate with mill owners to pay the farmers 100 more than the FRP,” a senior MLA said.

On Wednesday the former CM and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa said that the BJP will not rest until it topples the government. .

“Kumaraswamy is enjoying power despite winning just 38 seats. He is neglecting the interest of people and farmers. He has insulted women of the state by making a derogatory comment to a woman farmer leading the agitation of sugarcane growers in Belagavi. Kumaraswamy has no moral right to continue in office even for a day. Though over 100 taluks are reeling under drought, neither the CM nor his ministers have toured these places so far. It has been six months since Kumaraswamy assumed office, but not even a single rupee has been released through MLAs’ funds. The government has not even utilised assistance received from the Centre.” Yeddyurappa said.

The former chief minister said that the party would be holding a massive rally in Belagavi on December 10, the first day of the winter session, to showcase the failure of the Kumaraswamy government.