BELAGAVI: Deputy commissioner S B Bommanhalli directed sugar mill managements in the district to announce rates according to the fair remunerative price ( FRP ) of the central government.He issued the directions after holding consecutive meetings with sugarcane growers and managements of sugar mills here on Wednesday. He said sugar mills can pay more than FRP but not less than that. The factories must also announce the price much before starting crushing, he added.He also told representatives of sugar mills that according to the Sugarcane (Control) Act, factories must pay sugarcane growers within 14 days of receiving the produce and 15% interest should be paid in case of a delay. He also instructed officials of weight and measurement department to submit a report within a week after inspecting weighing bridges of factories.The DC was critical of representatives of Doodhaganga Sugars, Chikkodi and Halasiddhanath Sugars, Nippani which had announced a price Rs 2,900 and Rs 3,151 per tonne of cane respectively but paid a lesser price later.He asked them to clear farmers’dues as per the announced rates. In respect to the dues from Malaprabha Sugars of MK Hubli, Bommanahalli said the administration had seized sugar and molasses from its factory.‘Why is cane price higher in Gujarat, Maharashtra?’Farmer leader Sanjay Nadagouda stated that sugar factories in Gujarat were paying Rs 4,700 payment to per tonne while it is more than Rs 3,000 in Maharashtra. “Then why is the price so less in Karnataka. Factories must pay farmers 30% of their profits that they earn from selling byproducts of sugar,”he added.Basavaraj Nagathana, another farmer, alleged that Hiranyakeshi Sugars and Vishwaraj Sugars had announced a price of Rs 3,000 price last year but had paid just Rs 2,500. There is need for uniform pricing by sugar factories, he added.The farmers present at the meeting lost their cool as soon as cameramen of media houses entered the meeting hall. The farmers picketed the DC, saying they were not happy with the DC’s assurances and did not believe the factories would follow his directions. They said they would not supply sugarcane to factories unless last year dues are cleared and this year rates are announced.SP C H Sudheerkumar Reddy, probationary IAS officer Bhavani Singh Meena, DCP Mahaling Nandaganvi and deputy director of food and civil supply department Sayeda Afrin Banu Ballari were present at the meeting.

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