BJP Raitha Morcha leader defends Union Miniser Pralhad Joshi’s efforts to address sugarcane growers’ issues

BJP Raitha Morcha State secretary Basavaraj Kundagolmath has defended Union Minister Pralhad Joshi against criticism over his handling of the sugarcane growers’ issues in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

In a statement, Mr. Kundagolmath, who is also a governing council member of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, said a meeting involving about 100 farmers’ leaders and representatives of farmers’ organisations from the two States, along with State government Ministers, was held in New Delhi on Monday in the presence of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The meeting discussed issues relating to sugarcane weighment, deductions attributed to wastage, sugar recovery calculations, the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), State Advisory Price (SAP), the minimum selling price of sugar and the ethanol policy, he said.

Mr. Kundagolmath said it had been agreed to constitute a high-level committee within a week, comprising officials from the Union and State governments, representatives of sugar factories and farmers’ leaders, to examine the issues and suggest measures to resolve them.

The committee should ensure transparency in weighment and sugar recovery assessments, review deductions and pricing issues, and establish a mechanism for farmers to register complaints, he said.

While calling for the committee’s recommendations to be followed up with action, Mr. Kundagolmath said personal criticism of Mr. Joshi was unwarranted when efforts were being made to address farmers’ concerns.

He said farmers had the right to protest peacefully but argued that road blockades causing inconvenience to the public would not help resolve the dispute. He called on political parties and farmers’ organisations to focus on finding solutions to the growers’ problems.