Unity will secure demands: Minister Lamani

HAVERI As statewide agitations and highway blockades by sugarcane growers enter a critical phase, Karnataka Sugar Minister Rudrappa Lamani has stepped forward to address the growing political and agrarian fallout. Following the abrupt collapse of high-level negotiations in New Delhi between state delegates, union ministers, and enraged farming representatives, Lamani advised cultivators to exercise restraint and await the findings of a newly proposed central review committee. Recounting the sequence of events that led to the capital discussions, Lamani noted that mounting demonstrations—including intense protests staged directly outside Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s residence—compelled federal authorities to intervene. A high-powered delegation comprising State Ministers Laxman Savadi, Narendraswamy, and Lamani himself traveled to New Delhi to participate in a four-hour marathon session led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. Despite the extended dialogue, Lamani conceded that the discussions failed to yield immediate pricing concessions. Central leaders maintained that statutory pricing frameworks, including the determination of Fair and Remunerative Prices (FRP) and Maximum Retail Prices (MRP), fall exclusively under federal jurisdiction. Rather than announcing an immediate hike to satisfy the protesters' demands for ₹5,500 per tonne, the Union ministers proposed establishing a dedicated expert committee to comprehensively study regional recovery variations, weighing discrepancies, and structural categorization—such as differentiating between brown sugar production and general public consumption. However, this proposal met with immediate resistance from farmer representatives present at the table, who rejected prolonged bureaucratic reviews in favor of instant financial relief. Highlighting the constitutional division of powers, Lamani reiterated that the State Government has no direct authority to fix the final MRP or alter national pricing benchmarks, emphasizing that nationwide unity among agricultural communities is vital. He observed that if growers across every sugar-producing state stand firm collectively, federal authorities will be forced to accommodate their demands. As state leaders navigate the volatile political landscape, the administration continues to urge calm while protesting unions threaten further escalations across Karnataka's major transport corridors.