Mysore/Mysuru: Lashing out at the State Government for failing to address farmer issues despite farmers of Belagavi  region protesting for days demanding minimum price of Rs.3,500 per tonne of sugarcane, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) wondered what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was doing when farmers have hit the streets in Northern parts of Karnataka.

Speaking to presspersons before taking part in the DISHA meeting at ZP Office premises here this morning, Kumaraswamy, who is also a former Karnataka Chief Minister, expressed dismay that CM Siddaramaiah, who has the record of presenting the maximum number of budgets, seems to have forgotten the ways to address farmer issues.

Questioning Siddaramaiah’s letter to Prime Minister Modi seeking his intervention in sugarcane price, he said that it is the responsibility of the CM to address farmer issues and perhaps no other CM might have written such a letter.

“I have resolved sugarcane growers problems when I headed the coalition Government twice, during which I did not call the Centre to fix sugarcane price. There are allegations that most of the sugar factories in the State are run by politicians from the three major parties. However, I clarify that at present, no leader of the JD(S) owns any sugar factory. The CM is unnecessarily blaming PM Modi now, when the Centre has already fixed the FRP (Fair and Remunerative Price) for sugarcane and it is up to the State Governments to follow it,” HDK said.

Greater Mysuru Vs Greater Bengaluru!

Responding to a question on the renewed efforts for formation of Greater Mysuru, the Union Minister said that the issue has become a matter of prestige between Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D.K. Shivakumar, who is credited with forming the Greater Bengaluru Authority.

Asserting that Siddaramaiah has announced Greater Mysuru as Mysuru is his home district and to outwit his deputy Shivakumar, who has formed Greater Bengaluru, HDK sarcastically said no such thing as ‘Greater’ would  happen  in Mysuru.