Karnataka govt withholds decision to lease Mysore Sugars
Bengaluru, Oct 18: Karnataka government on Monday decided to withhold its decision to lease the Mandya-based The Mysore Sugars Company Ltd (MySugar) temporarily, and would constitute an expert committee to recommend to it about the company's future.
Also, it said the factory would commence crushing of sugarcane from the next season.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today chaired a nearly three-hour-long high-level meeting with senior Ministers, public representatives and farmers' representatives from Mandya district here to discuss about MySugar following opposition against leasing it.
"An expert committee will be set up to study the condition of the machinery and other technical aspects, finances needed to restart the factory and the working capital needed to make payment to farmers for sugarcane in consultation with bankers," he said.
Speaking to reporters here after the meeting, he said the committee would also study the aspects of value addition of converting molasses and also whether the molasses would be used in distillery or for ethanol with an aim to make the factory financially viable.
To supervise the factory, an efficient officer would be appointed as the managing director with industrial expertise, and an accountant recommended by the Auditor General would be appointed, Bommai said. "The report submitted by the expert committee will be placed before the Cabinet to take a final decision," he said
Pointing out that an earlier Cabinet had decided to hand over the factory on lease, he further said, "If it has to be changed, it has to be decided by the Cabinet itself, we will take a decision based on the committee report...till then it has been decided to withhold the earlier decision to privatise (to lease) for now."
The move to lease the State-owned sugar factory, which was established in 1934, has come under opposition from various sections, including farmers, who are staging protests in Mandya.
Opposition parties JD(S) and Congress have also opposed the move.
Recently, the Chief Minister met the farmers and assured them of an amicable solution.
Stating that the government is firm in its decision to restart crushing of cane from the next season, Bommai today said he would immediately release funds required for updating or overhauling the machinery required for the purpose.
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CM Siddaramaiah echoes Rahul’s views on ‘electoral fraud’, ‘voter list manipulation’
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has echoed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale electoral misconduct by the BJP, accusing the ruling party at the Centre of manipulating voter lists and undermining democratic institutions, including the Election Commission of India.
In an interview with PTI Videos, Siddaramaiah said Rahul Gandhi was telling the truth when he alleged that genuine voters were being removed from electoral rolls while fake names were being added.
"Such things have happened in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka," he claimed and expressed his apprehension, "they are planning to do it in Bihar also".
The Chief Minister accused the BJP of mischief and alleged that this manipulation was happening across the country.
He came down heavily on the Election Commission, saying it is no longer functioning as an independent constitutional body.
"The Election Commission is working under the direction of the central government. It’s not independent. Election Commission has to function independently and fairly, but it is not doing so," the Chief Minister said.
Declaring that democracy is under threat, Siddaramaiah announced that the Congress would launch a nationwide campaign to expose these alleged irregularities and demand reforms to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
Siddaramaiah also reiterated the importance of conducting a nationwide caste census.
"Every state should start conducting the caste census. It should be socio-economic, educational, employment-based, and political. Because everybody should know, after independence, what is the status of an individual — economically, politically — and whether independence has reached everyone or not, whether equality has come or not," CM has insisted.
The purpose of the Constitution is to bring about change and remove inequality, he underlined.
He also clarified that he is not the convenor of the OBC advisory committee but only a member under Anil Jaihind’s leadership.
Regarding Karnataka’s own caste census, he said that authorities have been given a three-month time to complete the process and expressed hope that they will meet the deadline.
Regarding the alleged site allotment scam in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Siddaramaiah said, "It is a false case. They torture me, my wife, and my family unnecessarily. Though this does not come under the PMLA Act — there is no money laundering — unnecessarily, they harassed me and my family," he complained.
Welcoming the Supreme Court’s strong remarks, CM said, "It looks like the court has rightly said that if you want to do politics, do it in elections, not here. Not in this case, not through the ED. This is the warning of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to the BJP," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking on the June 4 stadium stampede that killed 11 people, Siddaramaiah said the Cabinet has accepted the enquiry report submitted by retired High Court judge Justice Michael D’Cunha.
"Criminal cases have already been registered against the officials of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and DNA (the event management agency), apart from police personnel," he said.
"Additionally, an inquiry will be conducted against the police officers concerned," he added.
