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Fadnavis defends levy on sugar mills, says it won’t burden cultivators
The CM clarified that the levy will not burden cultivators but will be deducted from the profits of sugar mills to support farmers hit by the recent floods.
PUNE: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, while slamming the opposition for criticising the state government’s decision to impose a levy on sugarcane, clarified that the levy will not burden cultivators but will be deducted from the profits of sugar mills to support farmers hit by the recent floods.
“Some people are very narrow-minded. During a high-level committee meeting, it was noted that sugar mills in Maharashtra have achieved a turnover of ₹30,000 crore while the state government has extended support worth ₹10,000 crore. Hence, we decided to keep ₹5 per tonne aside for the affected farmers. But some are misrepresenting it as money being taken from the farmers,” the chief minister said. He was speaking at the launch of renovation of the Padma Shri Dr Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil cooperative sugar factory at Pravaranagar in Ahilyanagar district on Sunday. Union home minister Amit Shah was also present at the event where statues of Padma Shri Dr Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil, pioneer of the cooperative movement; and former union minister Padma Bhushan Dr Balasaheb Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil were unveiled.
Fadnavis reiterated that the levy will come from the mills’ profits and will not affect cultivators. “There are around 200 mills in the state, and one mill may contribute about ₹25 lakh to the chief minister’s relief fund (CMRF). The levy aims to raise funds for the CMRF and provide assistance to farmers hit by floods,” he said.
Noting that some sugar mills have been caught in the past for cheating farmers in tonnage calculations, Fadnavis warned that such deception would attract strict government action. “Farmers are the real owners of these mills, and I will firmly stand by them,” he said.
In the wake of widespread damage to crops in Marathwada and other regions on the heels of heavy rainfall and flooding, the state government last week announced a levy of ₹10 per tonne of sugarcane towards the CMRF and ₹5 per tonne of sugarcane towards aid for flood-affected farmers. The decision drew criticism from the opposition which claimed that the levy would indirectly hurt cultivators. Nationalist Congress Party/NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar/SP) chief Sharad Pawar said, “Farmers need help today; do not take money from them. If anyone opposes this decision, they are right in doing so.”
Pawar further urged the state government to expedite submission of its damage assessment report to the Centre. “The chief minister should speak to the concerned authorities, secure maximum aid from the Centre, and start distributing relief immediately. The floods have not affected the entire state, only certain districts. The government should focus its efforts there and act swiftly,” Pawar said.
