In veiled criticism of politicians involved in sugar cooperatives, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said there is a competition among politicians to control cooperatives in Maharasthra and Karnataka and it is difficult to identify the real owners.
"I was told there are two categories of mills -- private industry and cooperatives. What are cooperatives? Cooperatives are 'father' of the industry. Cooperatives belong to big leaders of Maharashtra. Who are the owners of cooperatives in big states of Maharashtra and Karnataka?" Pradhan said.
Observing that people are doing politics in the name of cooperatives, Pradhan said, "There is a competition among politicians of these two states that 'who is owning how big cooperative'. How big a politician is, depends on this."
"Therefore, it is very difficult to know whether this industry is in the hands of industrialists or entrepreneurs or politicians," he added.
He was addressing a workshop on ethanol organised by private sugar industry body Indian Sugar Mills Association. There are 530 sugar mills in the country, out of which about 225 mills are cooperatives.
In his speech, Pradhan also took a dig at Congress Party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Congress party, which ruled the country for 10 years, is portraying itself as "Garibo ka messaiha (saviours of poor)", he said.
He also criticised AAP, which claims to work for the poor, for increasing the VAT on petrol and diesel in Delhi.
