The Principal Opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party, on Thursday termed the State government’s meeting with the owners of sugar factories that failed due to the latter’s refusal to pay the arrears to farmers as a “drama to hoodwink” the sugarcane growers ahead of the legislature session.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar alleged that the government was trying to wash its hands off by pointing out that the sugar factories were not ready to pay the dues to farmers. “It is a stage-managed show as the government just wanted everybody to know just before the commencement of the legislature session that it had done its duty by holding such a meeting,” he added.
According to him, the BJP would fight it out at the legislature session beginning on Monday in Belagavi if the cane growers are not paid their dues by then. Claiming that the sugar factories would never agree on their own to pay the farmers’ dues, he demanded that the government should file criminal cases against the owners of defaulting factories instead of merely seizing their sugar stock as it was difficult to sell the bulk stock.
Refuting the claims of the sugar factories that they were in financial distress, he wondered if the sugar sector was not doing well then why were 30 new sugar factories being set up in the State.
The meeting with the sugar mill owners is a stage-managed show as the government just wanted everybody to know just before the commencement of the legislature session that it had done its duty by convening such a meeting.
Jagadish Shettar
Leader of the Opposition in
the Legislative Assembly
