Karnataka - Belgaum   

Change in norm on payments to sugarcane farmers sought

Staff Correspondent

Make payment based on value of commodity and not on weight: Raitha Sangha

Belgaum: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) General Secretary Kalyanrao Muchalambi has expressed apprehensions over the double standards on the part of the Government when it comes to doing justice to sugarcane growers.

Talking to The Hindu here on Thursday, he said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy met the Union Minister for Mines Sisram Ola in New Delhi and urged the latter to change norms for paying royalty to State governments on iron ore and other minerals.

`Amend norms'

He wanted the Union Government to amend the norms in the next revision of royalty rates due in January to fix royalty on the basis of value of the commodities rather than their weight.

Mr. Kumaraswamy came out with the request in view of the large quantity of iron ore production in the State and to get proper value for the mineral. The Chief Minister had realised that the State Government was not getting its due from mining activities and wanted to get the state exchequer its due.

However, the State Government had shied away from its responsibility when it came to adopt the same norms while making payment for sugarcane, he said.

Mr. Muchalambi said sugar factories in the State were paying only for sugarcane supplied to them on the basis of weight.

But the KRRS had been demanding a change in the norm so that the farmers got payments based on the value of the commodity and not on the basis of weight.

"Will the Chief Minister, who wants the Union Government to change the norm for minerals to get what is due to the State, ensure what is due to sugarcane growers is given to them?" Mr. Muchalambi asked.

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