The State government has released a part of the incentive to farmers who supplied sugarcane to factories.
Chief Minister Siddharamaiah had announced that a total incentive of Rs. 250 per tonne would be released to farmers.
Of this, the first instalment of Rs. 100 has been released to farmers who supplied cane to cooperative and private factories. Of the Rs. 300 crore released to all districts, Bidar has got its share Rs. 15.5 crore, according to government sources.
This includes Rs. 4.18 crore to farmers who supplied the cash crop to the Bidar Sahakari Sakkare Karakhane, Rs. 5.25 crore for suppliers of Mahatma Gandhi Sahakari Sakkare Karakhane, Naranja Sahakari Sakkare Karakhane’s Rs. 4.98 crore, Bhavani Sugars’s Rs. 48.18 lakh and Rs. 42.63 lakh of Bhalkeshwar Sugars. However, the government is yet to keep its promise of releasing money to cover sugarcane arrears that factories owe to farmers.
“The government announced in the Belagavi Assembly Session that it would pay off the balance of the government fixed-Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP). But that has not happened,” Vishwanath Patil Koutha, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader said. Of the Rs. 2,800 per tonne FRP announced by the government, factories have paid only between Rs.1,800 – Rs. 2,000 per tonne.
