'BJP using sugarcane issue for political mileage'

MLC S L Bhoje Gowda on Thursday said senior BJP leaders should first instruct their party leaders, who own sugarcane industries, to pay arrears to sugarcane growers.

Addressing reporters here, he said that the companies, owned by BJP MLAs, former ministers and leaders have dues of crores of rupees to the cane growers. The BJP has no moral right to fight urging the government, he said while accusing BJP of trying to use the issue for political mileage.

“The chief minister has already held a detailed discussion with sugarcane growers and has assured of providing support price and taking measures to direct industries to pay dues to growers. A meeting will be convened with industry owners,” Bhoje Gowda said.

He said that the act of breaking open the locks of Vikasa Soudha during protests was wrong. Though a protester was called by the chief minister to Vidhana Soudha for talks earlier, he did not oblige, the MLC said.

“The chief minister has not used the word rowdy while referring to the farmer,” he said.

The MLC said that the incident of chief minister asking a farmer woman whether she was sleeping for the last four years has been blown up beyond proportion by the Opposition. Is it right on the part of a woman to call chief minister a ‘Nalayak’. Bhoje Gowda wanted to know.

“A real farmer woman will not utter such words,” he maintained.

The JD(S) leader alleged that the Central government has not taken steps to insulate farmers against the demonetisation shock.

A meeting on the irrigation of the district will be held in the presence of Taralabalu mutt seer Shivamurthy Shivacharya Swamiji at Taralabalu Kendra in Bengaluru at 4 pm on November 28. Irrigation experts, officials and elected representatives from the district will take part in the meeting, he said.

He said he has spoken to the DC on the need to take necessary measures to make sand available for all. Sand from the district should not be transported to other districts. Rates should be fixed on the basis of transportation expenses and the sand rates should be displayed at Gram Panchayat offices, he added.

JD(S) leaders M D Ramesh, Deviprasad, Dinesh and Holadagadde Girish were present in the press meet.