Belgavi, Karnataka: Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil announced that 99% of the payments owed to sugarcane farmers by sugar mills in the state have been settled, reports Times of India.
On Tuesday at the S Nijalingappa Sugar Institute, Patil stated, “Factories in Karnataka have paid 99% of the dues to farmers, amounting to more than Rs 20,000 crore. A few factories have assured that they will clear the remaining payments soon after selling their sugar.”
Patil also addressed concerns about fairness in sugarcane weighing, stating, “Action is being taken against those cheating farmers in the weighing process. The government has invited tenders to install new weighing machines to protect farmers’ interests.”
Regarding a separate issue, Patil clarified that the controversy over issuing a clearance certificate from the Karnataka Pollution Control Board to the Siddhasiri sugar factory, owned by Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in Chincholi taluk of Kalaburagi district, does not involve his department. “There is no government interference in this matter,” he said. Patil also mentioned that his sugar factory had been shut down once due to a lack of clearance from the pollution control board.
