BELAGAVI: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday urged sugar factory owners to take farmers into confidence and work with the State government to resolve the ongoing sugarcane price crisis, stressing that protecting farmers' livelihoods was the government's responsibility.
Addressing a meeting with sugar factory owners in Belagavi, Shivakumar said factory owners had failed to win the confidence of farmers, forcing the government to intervene amid growing protests.
He said he had visited Kittur during the agitation to meet farmers and hear their grievances recently.
"Farmers livelihoods are more important to us than politics. This is not a political meeting. There are other platforms for politics. We have gathered here to find a solution and help farmers survive," he said.
He added that he had spoken to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and the Maharashtra Chief Minister as part of efforts to find a solution, indicating that the crisis required coordination beyond the State government.
The meeting was attended by the Advocate General and officials of the Finance Department, among others, signalling the government's efforts to examine the financial and legal aspects of the issue.
Shivakumar pointed out that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who handles the sugar portfolio at the Centre, was also from Karnataka but could not take decisions exclusively for the State, as the issue involved broader national considerations.
"We must understand the ground realities and discuss the problems with an open mind. Our objective is to find a solution that safeguards farmers' interests," he said.