‘We made sure majority of farmers received payment from sugar mills’

The Department of Sugar is not always sweet as it seems and more so when owners of sugar mills fail to make payment to sugarcane farmers in time. This used to be one of the major problems faced by governments in the past. But for the first time, 98.8 percent of farmers have received payment from factories, says Minister for Sugar and Textiles Shankar Patil Munenakoppa in a free-wheeling interview with Shyam Sundar Vattam of News Trail. Here are excerpts

NT: Where are textile parks coming up in the State?

SM: To generate employment in both urban and rural areas, the government proposes to establish a textile park at Karkala in Udupi. Already, a piece of government land has been taken into possession. Two textile parks, one in Ranebennur and another in Shiggaon, are coming up in Haveri district and Navalgund taluk in Dharwad district. Since I represent Navalgund which borders Hubballi City, the textile park will be established on the taluk border for the convenience of people. The local people will be provided skill development and then absorbed in textile companies. Already, under the Nekar Sanman scheme, payment to weavers is set to be hiked from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000. The Vidyanidhi scheme has been extended to the children of weavers.

NT: What is your contribution to south Karnataka?

SM: In Mysuru, we are establishing a silk cluster at a cost of Rs 50 crore. This project has been pending for a long time. A private company which wants to establish this cluster needs to be given land so that it is set up on PPP model. This will not only generate jobs for local people but will also fetch income for the government. I visited Gokul Das Company in Mysuru and made offers, and they have promised to meet me in Bengaluru soon. Recently, I held a meeting with textile tycoons who agreed to invest Rs 2,000 crore in projects in Karnataka. I am going to Delhi and Mumbai to woo textile industrialists. The Government of India has proposed six mega textile parks and we have requested for one. It requires a capital of Rs 1000 crore and will provide employment to hundreds of locals. It is entirely devoted to readymade garments. The companies will be offered subsidies and financial assistance.

NT: Why is there more stress on the ready-made garment industry?

SP: Women are involved in this industry to the extent of 90 per cent. This has provided employment to thousands of women. In the handloom industry too, women do a lot of work. In the ready-made garment industry the responsibility lies on the government to provide security to women by installing CCTV cameras at the workplace and ensuring their safe entry and exit from the factory. Technology has come in handy to ensure safe night shifts.

NT: Is it true that the government is focusing on the surgical textile sector too?

SP: This idea was discussed with big companies like Manjushree and Gokuldas and involves the manufacture of masks and surgical items. A few companies dominate this sector. Presently, it is quite popular in Gujarat. We will invite surgical textile companies to set up units in the State. The textile park will come up on 15-20 acres of land of which 2 acres will be given to the surgical textile companies. Gokul Das Company has set up two to three textile units in Mysuru and the company has been asked to do more.

NT: You also handle the sugar department portfolio. Have all sugar mills cleared the dues of farmers?

SP: Hitherto, the sugar mills were not clearing the dues of farmers in time which resulted in strikes by sugarcane growers. But, farmers have stopped hitting the streets for the last two years since they were paid dues immediately. This year, an additional Rs 6000 crore worth of sugarcane has been crushed taking the total crushing to worth Rs 19,634 crore which is a record. Nearly 98.8 percent of farmers have received payment from factories through Direct Benefit Transfer. The previous governments were not talking to factories and farmers over the dues but now we are taking everyone into confidence. The fixation of MRP is not in my hands it is done by the government of India. Many sugar mills are owned by leaders of political parties and they responded positively when the government asked them to clear the dues. We are distributing sweets to companies that cleared 100 per cent dues.

NT: Earlier, nearly 50 per cent sugar factories were shut due to various reasons. What’s the position now?

SP: At one time, of the total 70 factories, only 31 factories were running. In sugar production, Karnataka stands third after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Thirty new proposals had come for opening of sugar factories and permission was given to establish 10. The state will shortly announce a new Ethanol policy as the production of only sugar is not be viable for any factory which can also earn from by-products like ethanol, spir