Centre should fix sugar prices soon, CM Shivakumar says as Karnataka cane farmers withdraw protest
Bengaluru: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, on Friday said the Centre should take responsibility for fixing sugar prices, adding that he would raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his November 13 visit to Bengaluru.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, CM Shivakumar said the state government had already written to the Prime Minister on the issue and that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had informed them that he was making efforts to address it.
“The Central government should fix the price of sugar. We have written a letter to the Prime Minister and will raise this issue with him as well. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has informed us that he is making efforts in this regard,” he said.
Meanwhile, sugarcane farmers in Karnataka withdrawn their protest after sugar factories agreed to a profit-sharing arrangement linked to increases in sugar prices.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene state president Chunappa Pujeri had announced on Thursday night that farmers had accepted the price of Rs 3,600 per tonne announced for sugarcane in Belagavi district by Public Works Department Minister and district in-charge Satish Jarkiholi.
Pujeri said farmers wanted the same price to be offered across Karnataka and had agreed to withdraw their agitation following the sugar factories’ acceptance of a profit-sharing formula based on any increase in sugar prices.
Reacting to the withdrawal of the protest, CM Shivakumar said the government had appealed to farmers not to make the issue a matter of prestige.
“We had appealed to the farmers to withdraw their protest and not make it a matter of prestige. Today, representatives of sugar factories and our ministers held discussions. Some people have approached the court seeking permission to crush sugarcane and protection for the factories. An affidavit is also being filed in this regard today,” he said.
Commenting on the farmers’ warning that they would not allow the winter session of the Legislature to be held in Belagavi if their demands were not resolved, Shivakumar said such threats were not appropriate.
“It is not right to threaten the government by saying that the winter session will not be allowed to take place in Belagavi if the issue is not resolved. There should be some courtesy. Addressing farmers disrespectfully by saying ‘Hey, you, come here’ amounts to insulting them. Such behaviour should not happen,” he said.
It can be noted that the sugarcane agitation had intensified over the past several weeks, with farmers organising padayatras, highway blockades, protest marches and statewide demonstrations.
Apart from the immediate demand for Rs 5,500 per tonne, farmer organisations demanded an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of sugar from Rs 31 to Rs 60 per kg from the Centre, a revision of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), timely payment within 14 days, separate prices for domestic and commercial sugar, changes in cane-based ethanol procurement and pricing and a comprehensive sugar policy.
In mid-October Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent intervention to address the demands of sugarcane farmers and urged the Centre to take early decisions on their key demands.
Earlier, farmers had blocked the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway for more than 30 hours, demanding a higher price for their produce. A subsequent meeting on October 26 at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, involving the government, sugar factory owners and farmer representatives, also failed to resolve the issue.
During the October 26 discussions, the government had urged sugar factories to provide an additional Rs 250 per tonne to farmers, but several factories had reportedly not implemented the proposal.
As part of their ‘jail bharo’ programme, farmers had staged demonstrations wearing T-shirts carrying the slogan ‘Prisoner Number 5,500’, indicative of their demand for the price of sugarcane per tonne and marched towards Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi. Farmer organisations had also planned a massive convention in Bengaluru on November 6, followed by further mobilisation at the village level.