Government will punish vandals who set fire to sugarcane-laden tractors in Sameerwadi, says Karnataka Minister Shivanand Patil

“The authorities of Karnataka volition behaviour an enquiry into miscreants mounting occurrence to sugarcane-laden tractors and trolleys. We person adopted a zero tolerance argumentation towards specified incidents. Anyone recovered blameworthy volition look ineligible enactment without immoderate leniency,’’ Shivanand Patil, Minister for sweetener and sugarcane development, said successful Sameerwadi successful Bagalkot territory connected November 14.

“We volition compensate farmers who suffered losses. The State Government volition determine connected the quantum of compensation aft studying reports of the territory administration. The magnitude volition beryllium paid either by the State Government oregon the Belagavi-based S. Nijalingappa Sugar Institute,” the Minister said.

“It is bittersweet and unfortunate that sugarcane tractors were burnt successful the premises of the Godavari Biorefineries Factory successful Sameerwadi successful Mudhol taluk. Local investigators are getting aggregate inputs connected the issue, and we bash not privation to remark connected it now. But we volition behaviour an enquiry and instrumentality strict enactment against those involved,” helium told reporters aft visiting the site.

Factory sojourn

He inspected the tract on with territory in-charge Minister R.B. Thimmapur. He went astir the country wherever tractors and bikes were burnt. He interacted with farmers who had mislaid their crops and vehicles.

“I powerfully condemn the misdeed. A squad of officers led by the Sub-Divisional Officer has started a survey of the grade of the damage. The magnitude of compensation to beryllium fixed has not yet been decided. I guarantee you that the authorities volition instrumentality enactment against the miscreants who person committed misdeeds by misusing the farmers’ agitation. We volition not spare anyone involved,” helium said. “Some factories were hesitant to commencement crushing operations owed to this incident, but capable information volition beryllium provided to them,” helium said.

“Due to the involution of the State Government, we person been capable to guarantee an mean of ₹200 to ₹250 other per tonne of sugarcane this play irrespective of the sweetener recovery. We person besides urged the factories to administer profits successful the ratio of 70:30 arsenic per the Rangarajan Committee report,” the Minister said.

Sugarcane is grown successful ​​7.3 lakh hectares successful Karnataka, with the maximum magnitude (5.67 lakh hectares) successful Belagavi, Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts.

“If crushing is delayed, not lone volition the sweetener output decrease, but it volition besides origin problems for farmers. Along with the value loss, sowing for the adjacent play volition besides beryllium affected. I, therefore, entreaty to the farmers to co-operate with the factories and the authorities truthful that crushing tin tally smoothly.”

He denied allegations that the State Government had yielded to unit from mill owners. “We person not fixed successful to the owners. If that was the case, it would not person been imaginable to hole higher prices for growers. At the aforesaid time, we volition marque definite that determination is nary effort to supply mendacious accusation astir the profits earned by the factories from the main and by-products of sugarcane, and the taxation received by the government,” helium said. He appealed to the media to effort to convey the due facts to farmers and others.

Delegation to the Centre

“Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already announced that helium volition pb a delegation to the Prime Minister with immoderate demands to guarantee remunerative pricing for sugarcane. We volition impulse the Centre to substantially summation the sweetener export quota and the ethanol accumulation bounds acceptable for the State.

“Our request is to summation the terms of commercialized sugar. If the Central Government responds to our demand, it volition beryllium beneficial for sugarcane growers,” helium said.

“Karnataka sweetener manufacture is suffering owed to the policies and rules of the Centre. Karnataka is the 3rd largest sugarcane increasing State successful India. But the Central Government has acceptable a debased bounds for ethanol accumulation for Karnataka. Gujarat has stated successful the tender that it volition proviso 38,000 crore liters of ethanol. However, the Central Government has allowed the accumulation of 43,000 crore liters of ethanol. This is 13% much than the demand. But successful lawsuit of Karnataka, though we had demanded 325 crore liters of ethanol production, lone 133 crore liters has been allowed. If the terms of commercialized sweetener is fixed, similar LPG, it tin supply much benefits to sugarcane growers. It is not close to hole the aforesaid terms for home and commercialized use. A minimum enactment terms (MSP) should beryllium fixed for sweetener too,” helium said.

Crushing begins successful astir factories

“Bagalkot territory has 14 sweetener factories, of which 9-10 factories person already started crushing. 1.6 lakh metric tons of sugarcane were crushed till November 13. Only 4-5 sweetener factories successful Mudhol taluk person not started crushing. Even the Godavari factory, that witnessed the tragedy, was scheduled to commencement crushing connected November 13,” the Minister said.

Mr. Patil urged the factories to commencement crushing and directed Deputy Commissioner Sangappa to supply the indispensable extortion to them.

Mr. Thimmapur told Mr. Patil that constabulary had told him that they were suspecting that the occurrence was a premeditated offence. “Miscreants poured petrol connected the sugarcane trolleys earlier mounting them connected fire. Nails were hammered into the tractor tires. They besides deed the tires with machetes to marque them immobile. Officers person got videos that amusement groups of younker vandalising tractors, pushing them and mounting occurrence to them,” Mr. Thimmapur said. He urged Mr. Patil to behaviour a precocious level inquiry. “Some farmers person adjacent told maine that they bash not privation immoderate compensation, but they would similar to spot the offenders punished. I besides impulse that the blameworthy beryllium punished. Only past tin specified tragedies beryllium enactment to an end. They should not beryllium pardoned for immoderate reason,” helium said.

ZP CEO Shashidhara, Assistant commissioner Shweta Bedkar, Sugarcane Control Board subordinate Ranganagouda Patil, and Godavari Factory CEO Balachandra Bakshi were among those present.