Mandya: With the nearly century old prestigious MySugar factory in Mandya having stopped crushing of sugarcane for years, Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambarish has promised to lead a stir in front of the Sugar Minister’s residence at Bengaluru if measures were not taken for re-starting sugarcane crushing at the earliest.

Presiding over a meeting with sugarcane growers at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here on Saturday, Sumalatha said that the State Cabinet is expected to take up the issue of re-starting MySugar factory and the problems of sugarcane growers after the announcement of by-election results. Pointing out that Sugar Minister Shivaram Hebbar has already been warned of a stir in front of his Bengaluru residence if the sugarcane growers’ problems were not addressed, the MP appealed the farmers not to get emotional over MySugar issue and re-assured her support       for the stir.

DC Dr.M.V. Venkatesh said that following complaints from farmers that the canal that runs near Kanaganamaradi village was under threat due to stone mining, the stone crushing activities have been stopped temporarily and added that the Mines and Geology Department officials have been informed of the action.  The next course of action on allowing stone mining will be taken after the Mining Department officials submit a report, he said.

Cane growers association office-bearers  urged the Government to keep MYSugar under Government control and run the factory under Operations and Maintenance arrangement. Accusing the Government of issuing conflicting statements on the re-start of sugarcane crushing at the factory, they wanted the Government to stop lying and take decisions, keeping only the interests of the farming   community in mind.

Joint Director of Agriculture Chandrashekar, Food and Civil Supplies Deputy Director Kumuda Sharath and farmer leaders attended the meeting.