Belgavi (Karnataka): Expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Thursday appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to call a meeting of sugar factory owners to discuss the difficulties faced by the industry and to lead a delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request the Centre’s support for improving the financial condition of the sugar sector, reported The Hindu.
During a debate in the Assembly on issues related to the development of North Karnataka, Yatnal said the claim that sugar factory owners earn Rs. 14,500 from crushing each tonne of sugarcane was “incorrect and creates a wrong picture.” He said the sugar industry was struggling financially due to several challenges.
“I can pay a monthly salary of Rs. 1 crore to anyone making such claims if they can show me how to earn that amount,” he said. He also noted that sugar mills were not receiving fair prices for the power they supplied to electricity utilities.
Yatnal, who owns a sugar mill himself, suggested that the government form a committee of experts, including the Ministers for Sugar, Industries and Energy, to examine the reasons behind the sector’s problems and identify solutions to revive it.
Objecting to the tendency to blame sugar mills for farmers’ issues, he said, “Farmers will gain only if sugar mills continue to operate. If the mills shut down, the problems of farmers will only increase. The best approach is to strengthen the mills financially so farmers can benefit.”
He further questioned the decision to spend hundreds of crores on constructing the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, pointing out that it is used for only about 10 days a year for legislative sessions.
