HC directive to govt on cane growers' dues

The High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to immediately consider the representation of a farmer seeking payment of dues to sugar cane growers across the State along with 15 per cent interest per annum for delayed payment.

 Hearing a petition filed by A C Chandrashekhar, a former village patel, the division bench comprising Chief Justice  D H Waghela and Justice S N Satyanarayana disposed of the petition directing the government to consider the representation made by the petitioner on September 13 to the chief secretary.
  The petitioner has urged the government to ensure payment of dues to sugar cane farmers as per the  Sugar Cane (Control) Order, 1966, which stipulates payment to farmers within 14 days of supply to the factories. The delayed payment attracts an interest of 15 per cent. 

During the hearing, when the bench asked the counsel representing the government why there was no response to the representation, the counsel said that the letter was addressed to the previous chief secretary who retired last month. The bench directed the government to consider the representation.

Notice to govt

In Bangalore, the High Court on Tuesday ordered issuance of notice to the state government following a petition seeking quashing of the government order of October 19 which directed sugar cane farmers to sell the produce to jurisdictional factories. 

Hearing the petition filed by six sugar cane farmers from Davangere, Justice A S Bopanna also ordered notices to Commissioner for Cane Development and Director of Sugar, Shamanur Sugars Ltd, and Davangere Sugars.    

The counsel representing the petitioners submitted that a group of farmers with the help of government had started Bhadra Co-operative sugar factory in Davangere but it was closed down in 2010.  

Later, on October 19, the State government issued a notification stating that the villages in the zone area should sell their sugar cane to Shamnur Sugars Ltd, owned by Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Minister for Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing and Davangere Sugars owned by his son and MLA S S Mallikarjun. 

The petitioners have sought directions from the court to quash the government notification and allow them to sell  sugar cane to factories of their choice.