BJP accuses Karnataka govt of shifting responsibility to Centre over sugarcane crisis

Vijayapura, Oct 16 : The BJP on Friday criticised the Congress government in Karnataka over the ongoing sugarcane farmers' agitation, accusing it of evading responsibility for addressing growers' grievances and shifting the burden onto the Centre instead of finding a solution at the state level.

BJP Raitha Morcha state president and former MLA Aminappagouda S Patil Nadahalli said the state government should take primary responsibility for resolving farmers' concerns. He maintained that Karnataka should shoulder 70 per cent of the responsibility for ensuring fair returns to sugarcane growers, while the Centre should account for the remaining 30 per cent.

Accusing the Congress government of politicising the agitation, Nadahalli said farmers continued to face problems relating to sugar recovery rates, discrepancies in sugarcane weighing and deductions associated with mechanically harvested cane.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the grievances required immediate administrative intervention and could not be resolved through political exchanges between the state and the Centre.

Centre's committee under scrutiny

Nadahalli said the Centre had held discussions with farmer representatives for four to five hours and decided to constitute a committee to examine their demands. He urged farmers to cooperate with the proposed panel, while stressing that the state government must resolve issues falling within its jurisdiction.

He said the BJP supported the farmers' agitation but had not yet decided whether to formally join the protests. The party would consider participating if the situation warranted it, he added.

The BJP's intervention comes amid continuing tensions over sugarcane pricing and farmers' demands for fair returns. Complaints regarding weighing practices and sugar recovery have also raised concerns about the functioning of sugar mills and the need for greater transparency.

Calling for a comprehensive policy response, Nadahalli said farmers should not have to repeatedly take to the streets to secure fair prices and redressal of their grievances.

He also highlighted the potential of ethanol and other value-added sugarcane products to diversify farmers' income and reduce the industry's dependence on sugar production.

Stressing the need to balance the interests of farmers, consumers and sugar mills, he said any long-term solution should also take international market conditions into account.

BJP district president Gurulingappa Angadi was present.