The Karnataka Sugarcane (Regulation of Purchase and Supply) (Amendment) Bill, 2014, was passed in the Legislative Council on Saturday amid a walkout by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members.
BJP members, led by Leader of the Opposition K.S. Eshwarappa, alleged that the amendment to the Bill had been drafted keeping in mind the interests of sugar factory owners and not farmers.
The Bill generated a lot of heat in the Legislative Assembly too where it was recently adopted.
The main contention of the Opposition was that the Bill considered the Fair and Remunerative Price of the Centre as the ‘ex-gate’ (produce delivered at the sugar factory) price instead of ‘ex-field’ (produce to be procured at the field).
Taking serious exception to this, Mr. Eshwarappa said this was in contravention with the State’s own policy of prescribing ex-field price for sugarcane crop in north Karnataka as it had higher sugar recovery percentage. “The ex-field system has been in existence for the last 40 years. Instead of helping sugarcane growers, the amendment will only benefit factory owners,” he said.
Congress member V.S. Ugrappa, too, objected to the amendment that stipulates that growers would get the first instalment payment from factory owners 14 days after the supply. He said farmers should be paid as soon as the produce is supplied to the factories.
Mr. Eshwarappa and several Opposition members, including C.H. Vijayshankar and G.S. Nyamagouda of the BJP, and B. Ramakrishna and Marithibbe Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular), said the amendment was not drafted scientifically. They demanded that the Bill be withdrawn.
“You can table the revised Bill in the next session,” Mr. Vijayshankar said.
Minister for Cooperation H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, who piloted the Bill, defended its provisions and appealed to the House to adopt it. He said the provisions of the amendment would be modified to incorporate the Opposition’s suggestions.
“Although the ex-gate system has been included on the basis of the Centre’s Sugar Control Order, the clause in the amendment that specifies delivery at the gate of the factory will be removed,” he said, and appealed to the Opposition to allow the Bill to be passed.
Not convinced, the Opposition walked out following which the Bill was passed.
