No incentive for sugarcane farmers, says CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, no incentive will be paid to sugarcane farmers like last year as a committee has been formed to fix price for the produce.

After laying foundation stone for the long-pending project to provide drinking water to 62 villages from KRS Dam, at a cost of Rs 53 crore, at Bannagadi village, in Pandavapura taluk, on Saturday, the Chief Minister said, the committee will look into the issue.

It has to be recalled that the State government had paid an incentive of Rs 150 per tonne of sugarcane provided to sugar factories.

“As per the price fixed by the Centre, the sugar factories have been directed to pay Rs 2,200 per tonne of sugarcane,” he said.

Stating that a few canals originating from the KRS Dam were already being renovated, he said, all canals under the KRS Dam, Harangi, Kabini and Hemavathy reservoirs will be renovated to strengthen the irrigation network for the benefit of farmers.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil claimed that Karnataka was the only State in the nation to be providing 85 litres of water to every person, even in rural areas. “Last year, 1,000 drinking water units have been set up. This year 2,000 such units will be initiated,” he said.

MLA K S Puttanaiah, District in-charge Minister Ambarish and Cooperation Minister H S Mahadev Prasad were present.