Sugarcane Crisis: Bommai Urges Karnataka Govt to Fix Support Price Under SAP Law
BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai urges the Karnataka government to provide a sugarcane support price under SAP law, citing high GST earnings from sugar.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and current BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai has called upon the state government to take a proactive stance on the sugarcane support price, insisting that the administration should not leave the fate of farmers solely in the hands of an expert committee.
Demand for State Advised Price (SAP)
Speaking to the media in Dharwad, Bommai emphasized that the state government should utilize the State Advised Price (SAP) mechanism to provide immediate relief to sugarcane growers. While an expert committee has already been established to determine the pricing and is expected to submit its report soon, Bommai argued that the government cannot remain passive.
He highlighted a significant financial justification for this move, pointing out that the state government collects thousands of crores of rupees in Goods and Services Tax (GST) from sugar and its various by-products. According to the BJP MP, it is the government's duty to reinvest some of these gains by ensuring a fair support price for the farmers who produce the raw material.
The Need for a Nationwide MSP Revision
Bommai expressed concern over the stagnation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP), noting that it has not been revised for several years. He stated that had there been periodic updates to the MSP, the current crisis could have been avoided.
He advocated for a comprehensive, nationwide revision of the MSP, while acknowledging that the process must account for the varying demands and factors present in different states. He expressed hope that the upcoming report from the expert committee would lead to a much-needed upward revision of the price.
Beyond Pricing: Weighing and Recovery Issues
The former Chief Minister did not limit his concerns to pricing alone. He pointed out that farmers are facing significant challenges regarding weighing processes and recovery rates. He urged the state government to step in and resolve these technical discrepancies to ensure farmers are not cheated of their rightful earnings.
Demand for CBI Probe into Sting Operation
Shifting gears to the political turmoil in the state, Basavaraj Bommai addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding a recent sting operation. He demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), claiming that a fair investigation is impossible under the current state administration.
"Justice cannot be expected from the state government. The Chief Minister himself conducted a sting operation and made cabinet ministers work under anxiety. There is no hope of justice in such a government," Bommai stated.
He argued that a CBI probe is the only way to uncover who orchestrated the operation and the motivations behind it. Criticizing the use of unethical methods, he stated that political opposition should be conducted through the "Rajamaarga" (the right path) rather than "Vaamamaarga" (unethical paths), which he claimed lack morality and bring embarrassment to state leaders.