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Politicians owning and controlling sugar factories in the state have been exploiting the sugarcane growers, alleged president of Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association Kurbur Shanthkumar here on Monday.
Addressing the state-level convention of sugarcane growers organised by his association, Shantakumar said, of the 60 sugar factories in the state, 25 were owned and controlled by elected representatives. They were earning hundreds of crores of Rupees while denying the sugarcane farmers their legitimate dues.
These factories are earning huge sums of money, but the owners mange to show losses and by virtue of being in the legislature, change laws to suit their convenience, Shantakumar alleged. He urged the government to ensure that the factories paid the farmers their dues immediately.
He chided minister for cooperation and sugar Mahadeva Prasad for not keeping his promise of inaugurating the farmers’ meet. “Mahadev Prasad did not want to face the farmers and he fave the pretext of having to go to Shikaripur for campaigning,” Shantakumar alleged.
Former MLA A B Desai who inaugurated the meet, said politicising the farmers’ associations had defeated the very purpose of organising the farmers. The farmers’ associations have become political parties and groups are mushrooming, he regretted.
He said, the government should include sugarcane growers in the committees formed to discuss the issues related to sugar industry.
Two farmers — Basappa Balappa Belakud and Rudrakumar Halappanavar — were felicitated for growing bumper crops.
Experts Dr Khanagavi and Ashok Alur spoke on issues haunting the sugarcane cultivation and marketing.
