Congress legislators from Mandya Dinesh Gooligowda and Ravi Ganiga have sought immediate release of ₹10 crore out of the pending ₹18 crore for State-owned Mysore Sugar Company Ltd. or Mysugar, which resumed operations recently.
In separate letters to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Mr. Gooligowda and Mr. Ganiga pointed out that the sugar company, which had remained shut for a long time, had resumed crushing sugarcane only last year.
Though the erstwhile BJP government had set aside ₹50 crore in the Budget for the revival of the State-owned sugar company only ₹32 crore were released, causing inconvenience to the farmers, the legislators said in the letter, before requesting the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to take steps to release ₹10 crore immediately.
In the area coming under the sugar company, sugarcane had been cultivated in 10,002 hectares of land and the farmers had entered into an agreement with the sugar company for supplying a total of five lakh and 100 tonnes of sugarcane.
With 5,745 farmers already registering themselves with the sugar company for supply of sugarcane, start of crushing operations is crucial for the future of the firm as well as the farmers, they said.
Sugarcane crushing operations are scheduled to start from June before which certain emergency work is to be taken up and the outstanding dues for employees and advance payment to sugarcane harvesting labourers is to be paid. Out of the total requirement of ₹18.54 crore, including the salaries, the legislators urged the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to direct the Finance Department officials to immediately release ₹10 crore.
The legislators pointed out the wages for April, May, and June were ₹1.5 crore, advance payment to sugarcane harvesting labourers was ₹5.8 crore. The other pending works before start of crushing season also includes certain civil and technical works at the factory.
