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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Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed at gunpoint by woman he met through matrimonial website
Mathura(UP), Apr 5 (PTI): A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an "obscene video" at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday.
The woman from Mathura, who was allegedly in on the plan to rob him, was working with other accomplices, the ex-armyman said in his complaint filed on Thursday.
According to Barsana Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kamal Singh, Colonel Rajneesh Soni (retired), a resident of Gurugram, reported that he was contacted by a woman from Barsana on a matrimonial website in January. The woman allegedly agreed to marry him, and they began communicating.
The woman allegedly persuaded the colonel to visit Barsana on January 25, requesting that he visit the Radharani temple. When he arrived, she arranged for his stay at a guest house and took him on a tour of the area, including a visit to the temple, the complainant said.
After returning to the guest house, the woman and her accomplices allegedly told the colonel that her brother had been involved in an accident and they needed to leave immediately. They then led him to a waiting car.
"Once outside the town limits, the colonel alleges that he was attacked by the occupants of the car. They seized his phone, physically assaulted him, and forced him to contact relatives and friends to transfer money," the SHO said.
"He was then taken back to the guest house, where he was allegedly forced to participate in obscene videos and photographs at gunpoint. He was threatened that the videos would be made public if he reported the incident," the officer said.
The colonel has alleged that his purse, bag, gold chain, debit card and Rs. 12,000 in cash were stolen from the guest house.
After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the perpetrators himself, the colonel finally reported the incident to the Barsana police two days ago, he said.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and all facts are being investigated. Further action will be taken as per facts found in the investigation," the SHO said.
