‘Ask Nirani to sell vehicle and settle dues of cane growers’

Newly appointed president of the Bharatiya Janata Party State unit B.S. Yeddyurappa getting Rs. 1-crore luxury SUV from party colleague Murugesh Nirani, whose sugar factory has defaulted on dues of more than Rs. 100 crore towards farmers, has not gone well with the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association.

“Mr. Yeddyurappa should show his commitment to farmers by immediately directing Mr. Nirani to sell the luxury SUV, which has been bought in the name of his company, and settle the dues of at least a few farmers from that money,” association president Kurubur Shanthkumar told The Hindu . Expressing dissatisfaction over Mr. Yeddyurappa accepting such a luxury car from Mr. Nirani, he said: “We want leaders like Mr. Yeddyurappa, who heads the Opposition party, to be aggressive with industrialists who default on farmers’ dues by colluding with the government. If Mr. Yeddyurappa accepts the luxury SUV from Mr. Nirani now, he will not be in a position to rein in him if he (Yeddyurappa) becomes Chief Minister later,” Mr. Shanthkumar said.

He said the association was considering moving the court against Mr. Nirani’s sugar factory “for its failure to pay dues towards farmers though he has money to spend on luxury cars”. According to sources, Nirani Sugars is yet to clear dues of Rs. 197.57 crore to sugarcane growers for the crushing season 2015–16 and another Rs. 18.38 crore for 2013–14.

We want leaders like Yeddyurappa to be aggressive with industrialists who default on farmers’ dues by colluding with the govt.

Kurubur Shanthkumar,Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association president