Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a flying visit to Belagavi city on Saturday.

After addressing the Indian Science Congress at Mumbai in the morning, he arrived at Sambra airport for a short technical break on his way to Kolhapur, where he was scheduled to address the 75th anniversary celebrations of Marathi newspaper Pudhari in the afternoon.

Mr. Modi, who arrived in an Indian Air Force aircraft, boarded a helicopter to reach to Kolhapur. He was accompanied by Governor of Maharashtra C.V. Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadakari.

Chikkodi MP Prakash B. Hukkeri, Belagavi Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram and Police Commissioner S. Ravi accorded a warm welcome to the Prime Minister.

Mr. Hukkeri drew the attention of Mr. Modi to the grievances of sugarcane growers on minimum purchase price to be fixed by the Karnataka government for the crushing season 2014–15. He urged that the Centre raise the import duty on sugar to the maximum extent so that growers got better price for their produce and consumers remained unaffected by the price rise. Incentives on sugar export should be announced, he urged.

Mr. Hukkeri, who submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Prime Minister, said no amount of fair and remunerative price (FRP) or sharing revenue with States could save farmers from the fluctuating prices in the market. The Centre needs to create a strategic sugar stock to keep the prices under check. Sugar procured from market at lower price during surplus production should be utilised during shortages, he said.

The MP urged that production of ethanol directly from sugarcane juice and blending of a minimum 10 per of cent ethanol with petroleum fuels, against 5 per cent being done now, should be encouraged.

Mr. Hukkeri also urged the Prime Minister to accord early approval to the State government’s proposal to set up a Bench of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal in Belagavi city.