Sugarcane price: H.D. Kumaraswamy accuses Karnataka CM of shirking responsibility towards farmers by writing to PM

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy has accused Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of shirking his responsibility to resolve the problems faced by sugarcane farmers by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seeking the Centre’s intervention in the matter.

Responding to reporters’ queries in Mysuru on November 7, Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress government in Karnataka has no intention of responding to the hardships of farmers, and is trying to pin the blame on the Centre to evade responsibility.

Mr. Kumaraswamy is the leader of the JD(S), which has forged an alliance with the BJP.

“If the Chief Minister truly wants to solve the issue, it is a very small matter. But, the Chief Minister is playing politics,” he said while seeking to know which State had sought the Prime Minister’s help to resolve the problems faced by sugarcane farmers.

Mr. Kumaraswamy recalled the sugarcane farmers’ plight during 2006, when the JD(S)-BJP coalition was in power. Among other things, a farmer had committed suicide. But, he claimed to have ensured that a support price of ₹25,000 per hectare was paid to farmers whose sugarcane crop had dried.

Claiming that a total of ₹248 crore had been released then, when the State Government’s budget was only around ₹34,000 crore, Mr. Kumaraswamy said Mr. Siddaramaiah can also take a decision to bail out the farmers if he had concern for them.

Referring to the all-party meeting convened by the State Government to discuss the issue, Mr. Kumaraswamy said there was no need for such an exercise. The Chief Minister can himself take a decision by holding talks with farmers, he said.

The JD(S) leader said he does not believe that the State Government is facing a funds crunch, as party leaders had been appointed as heads of Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committees and given Cabinet-rank. “Such appointments had been made at the district and taluk levels too,” he said.

Lobby of sugar mill owners

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Chief Minister ‘may be’ succumbing to the lobby of sugar mill owners, who are also Ministers.

Referring to media reports that leaders belonging to all the three parties own sugar factories, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he was also aware about party leaders owning sugar factories, but sought to make it clear that their party leader Bandeppa Kashempur had sold his sugar factory about three years ago.

“The Chief Minister should not surrender to pressure by the sugar lobby, but work towards protecting the interests of farmers,” the Union Minister said.