21 sugar mills in Karnataka raided after plaints over cane weight

A senior officer said they will examine details collected during the raids, and based on that information, will seek an explanation from the factories.
​  A delegation led by Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar meets Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru on Wednesday | EXPRESS  ​
​ A delegation led by Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar meets Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru on Wednesday | EXPRESS ​

BENGALURU: State Government officials on Wednesday raided 21 sugar factories in the state, following complaints that the factories were allegedly cheating cane growers by depreciating the weight of sugarcane supplied to them by farmers.

For the first time, the State Government conducted massive raids of this kind on sugar factories. Officials from the Departments of Sugar, Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and the police jointly raided different locations across six districts. Senior officers coordinated the operation from Bengaluru.

Nirani Sugars Limited of Industries Minister Murugesh R Nirani is among the firms that were raided. The raids were conducted under the leadership of Shivanand H Kalakeri, Commissioner for Cane Development and Director of Sugar, on the directions from Minister for Textiles and Sugar, Shankar Patil Munenkoppa.
After receiving complaints that some sugar factories were cheating farmers by depreciating the weight, the minister directed officials to conduct raids, said a statement issued by the department.

A senior officer said they will examine details collected during the raids, and based on that information, will seek an explanation from the factories. The official said it was too early to say if any of the factors were involved in cheating farmers as that will be known only after a detailed examination of all the facts.
Raids on eight sugar factories in Belagavi, four in Bagalkot, four in Vijayapura, two in Bidar, two in Kalaburgi, and one sugar factory in Uttara Kannada districts started from 7 am.

Kurubur Shantha Kumar, president of Karnataka Sugar Cane Growers Association, said the raids were conducted after they complained about cheating. He claimed that if a farmer supplies 15 tonnes of sugarcane, they show it as 14 tonnes and cheat the farmer.

Farmers meet CM
Sugarcane growers, who are staging a protest for the last 23 days, met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday. Kurubur Shantha Kumar said the chief minister assured them of that the rates would be increased, but did not specify how much will be the increase and when it will be implemented.

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