The BJP’s ally is demanding instant fair pay for farmers

Impelled by thwarted political ambitions and a dwindling party base, activists of the Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksha, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, went on the rampage on Monday, vandalising the Sugar Commissionerate here and demanding instant fair pay for farmers.

Mr. Shetti, along with senior Swabhimani Paksha leader Sadabhau Khot and party workers, was taken into police custody.

With the State’s sugar factories — the majority of which are in deplorable financial health — desisting from paying farmers the full fair and remunerative price (FRP), irate Swabhimani Paksha activists torched the Sugar Commissioner’s car after allegedly learning of the latter’s ‘absence’ from the Commissionerate building.

Incensed at being ‘kept waiting’ by the Commissioner, Mr. Shetti’s party workers orchestrated their destructive riot in full media glare — smashing window panes and damaging lobby furniture.

“We have issued enough warnings in the past to the BJP government to take action against errant sugar cooperatives and private sugar factory owners who are brazenly refusing to pay farmers fair prices. But this time, our patience has run out,” said Mr. Shetti, accusing the Devendra Fadnavis administration of being in cahoots with sugar factory owners.

He threatened to break ties with the BJP if the government failed to check errant factory promoters and ensure immediate payment of the FRP.

In November last year, Mr. Shetti had issued a 25-day ultimatum to the newly-elected Fadnavis government to ensure that sugar mills give a fair first advance payment for farmers, but had backed off after the expiry of the notice period.

However, with the BJP maintaining an ambivalent tenor over accommodating its smaller constituents like Mr. Shetti’s party and the Ramdas Athawale-led RPI (A) in the Cabinet, the timing of Mr. Shetti’s demonstration — more than two months since his ‘ultimatum’ — is being perceived as mere pressure tactics.

In the last year’s Assembly polls, Mr. Shetti’s party, which issued a loud challenge to the NCP’s sugar barons in western Maharashtra, came a cropper by failing to open its account. The results have led to a steady erosion of his party base which draws from sugarcane farmers in the region.

“Less than 10 of the 120-odd sugar cooperatives are profit-making which is the result of financial mismanagement by their promoters, all influential politicos. There is no excuse for the factories not paying up,” Mr. Shetti told The Hindu.

The State government has fixed the FRP of Rs. 2,100 a tonne for 9.5 per cent recovery and directed factory promoters to pay the same, failing which they could face punitive action. But as legal notices continue to be issued over non-payment of FRP, several mills have expressed their inability to pay up, citing poor financial health.

“We have already issued notices to sugar factories that are not paying the FRP to farmers. We have directed authorities to seal godowns of such factories. I had already warned board members of non-paying cooperatives of arrest. There was no need for violent agitation and we are not impressed by this,” said Cooperatives Minister Chandrakant Patil.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, speaking in Baramati, urged the State government to intervene on behalf of the factory owners and compensate the farmers.