MYSURU: The Congress turned the tables on the JDS in Vokkaliga heartland Mandya, accusing former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of failing to keep his promise of increasing milk prices by Rs 5 a litre, and blaming him for the closure of Mysugar factory. Congress leaders, during the Praja Dhwani Yatra, made some tall promises to the farmers.
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said the government would pay Re 1 more to milk farmers, increasing assistance to Rs 6 a litre, and recalled that he had increased milk prices by Rs 5 a litre. He alleged that the BJP government was ready to dispose of Mysugar factory, and Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani was keen on taking over the factory. The BJP dropped its plan as he and some others strongly opposed the sale of sugar factories to private players.
He announced that the Congress is committed to taking up modernisation of sugar factories and stepping up crushing of cane from 90,000 tonnes to 3.5 lakh tonnes, besides commissioning ethanol co-generation units to make it a profit-making industry. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who had assured Rs 50 crore for the operation of Mysugar factory, had paid Rs 30 crore, and suggested that funds be borrowed to revive the factory, Siddaramaiah said.
He allayed doubts over mobilisation of resources to give 200 units of free power, Rs 2000 per month to the woman of the family and 10kg rice to ration card holders. “I will retire from politics if I fail to implement promises made to the people,” he said. He also criticised the BJP government for reducing free rice from 7kg to 5kg.
KPCC president D K Shiva Kumar said the Congress took up the Mekedatu padayatra to protect the interests of farmers, but the government registered cases against him and Siddaramaiah for violating Covid norms. He criticised the BJP for taking credit for the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway, which he said was cleared and funded by the UPA government at the behest of Siddaramaiah.