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Fadnavis appeals to sugarcane protesters to allow early crushing
CM on Wednesday appealed to sugarcane protesters to allow sugar mills to begin crushing operations early, citing lower cane production and financial pressures on mills.
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PUNE: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday appealed to sugarcane protesters to adopt a conciliatory approach and allow sugar mills to begin crushing operations early, citing lower cane production, financial pressures on mills and the need to maximise the crushing season.
The agitation intensified along the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, where sugarcane cultivators blocked the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway to demand remunerative prices.
Fadnavis said the state government had asked sugar mills to begin crushing operations from October 15, while mills in neighbouring Karnataka had started on October 1. A delay could prompt Karnataka mills to procure sugarcane from Maharashtra, reducing the operating period for mills in the state.
“This particular year is full of crises. On one hand, sugarcane yield is low, which will shorten the operating period of sugar mills. On the other hand, there is a need to start the crushing season early due to a shortage of sugar,” he said.
Appealing to protesters to cooperate, Fadnavis said both farmers and sugar mills were facing difficulties amid drought-like conditions.
He defended the state government’s decision to provide an advance of ₹5,000 to drought-affected farmers, saying relief measures had been expedited and the number of talukas covered under drought-related assistance had been increased from 265 to 305.
The advance would provide immediate relief while the process of disbursing the remaining assistance was completed, he said, adding that the government had initiated 12 relief measures.
On the agitation by Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants, Fadnavis said a judicial inquiry commission had been constituted and the report of the V Radha committee would help introduce comprehensive reforms to the recruitment process.
The government aimed to ensure that examinations, recruitment, results and appointments took place on time, he said, urging political parties not to politicise the issue.
Hyundai opens Talegaon plant
Hyundai Motor India on Wednesday inaugurated its manufacturing facility in Talegaon near Pune, with Devendra Fadnavis inviting South Korean companies to invest in the state.
Fadnavis said Hyundai had increased its proposed investment in the facility from ₹7,000 crore to ₹11,000 crore and its planned annual production capacity from 1.7 lakh to 3.2 lakh vehicles.
“Bring all the Korean industries to Maharashtra. We will create a seamless process for their footprint and facilitate them through a single window,” he said, highlighting the state’s industrial ecosystem and investment facilitation framework.
Fadnavis also made a pitch for electric mobility, arguing that wider adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could reduce pollution and logistics costs while helping lower India’s dependence on imported fuel.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Energy in Motion electric truck manufacturing and battery assembly plant at Talegaon near Pune, he called for expanding India’s battery manufacturing capabilities to reduce dependence on other countries.
“If India reaches 50 per cent EV adoption in its cars and transportation sector, replacing 50 per cent of the fuel currently consumed with electricity, we can bring down the dollar rate by ₹20. Such is the potential of electric mobility,” he said.
