Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Sugar Minister Shivananada Patil on Tuesday said the state government will move to secure agreements to buy electricity from sugar factories before the next sugarcane crushing season begins, The Bengaluru Live reported.
Speaking in the Legislative Council, Patil was replying to a notice raised under Rule 330 by member Ravi Kumar and others. He said many of the problems faced by sugar mills and farmers could ease if the central government raises the minimum support price (MSP) for sugar.
The minister said a meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already been held to discuss the concerns of farmers and factory owners. He clarified that only two of the industry’s demands fall under the state’s control — power purchase agreements and water tax relief — and added that the Chief Minister has assured these will be looked into.
Patil also called on the Centre to permit sugar exports and to revise ethanol prices based on production levels. He said these steps would help both factories and farmers.
He further urged the Centre to introduce separate pricing for domestic and commercial LPG, saying it would benefit consumers and support farmers’ interests.
Highlighting the state’s record, Patil said Karnataka has cleared all payments to sugarcane farmers over the past two years. With the current crushing season still underway, he assured that full payments would continue. He added that among the top three sugar-producing states, Karnataka is the only one to have paid farmers in full, while dues are still pending in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
