Karnataka - Hassan   

Revanna favours leasing out of sugar factory

Staff Correspondent

HASSAN: Minister for Public Works and Energy H.D. Revanna, who is also Hassan district in charge, hinted at leasing Hemavathi Co-operative Sugar Factory at Srinivasapura in Chennaraypatna taluk to a private management so that the interest of farmers is protected and the factory developed. This is the only sugar factory under co-operative sector in the old Mysore area.

The Minister was addressing presspersons in Singapura village in Holenarsipur taluk on Monday. Mr. Revanna made it clear that the present body was not in a position to protect the interest of farmers and that they could not respond to farmers’ grievances.

Mr. Revanna said Hemavathi Sugar Factory was started 25 years ago but the machinery had not been modernised.

He said that the sugarcane growing area had increased but the crushing capacity had not. He said 4 lakh tonnes of sugarcane was wasted and thousands of farmers suffered losses.

Mr. Revanna said the factory needed at least Rs. 100 crore for modernisation and that the Government was not in a position to bear the expenditure. He said that the decision as to whether or not to hand over the factory to a private management had to be taken by the farmers. He said the Government would not interfere in the matter. He advised farmers to take the decision apolitically.

He recalled that Pandavapura, ICL and Chunchanakatte sugar factories had remained closed for five years and that nobody helped the farmers of Hassan, Mandya and Mysore district who supplied sugarcane to those factories.

He said that now the factories were run by a private management and that the farmers were happy.

Mr. Revanna said a new sugar factory would be set up in Holenarsipur taluk in two months.

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