‘Ramesh Jarkiholi-owned sugar mills owe Rs 19 crore to cane farmers’

TNN

November 20, 2018

Mysuru, Nov 20: State Sugarcane Growers Association president Kurbur Shanthakumar on Monday alleged that sugar factories owned by Belagavi district minister Ramesh Jarkiholi owe Rs 19 crore to farmers who supplied sugarcane to his factories.

Belagavi has nearly 23 sugar factories including those belonging to the minister. But the factories have failed to pay the full amount to farmers, he told reporters here.

“According to a central act, sugar factories are bound to pay growers within 14 days of receiving the produce after making an initial payment of Rs 2,500,” Kurbur said. “However, most of factories have paid just ?1,000 to growers and kept the bills pending for a long time. Many factories have furnished false information regarding payment to farmers to the government. I urge chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to look into the matter and take stern action against those who provided the wrong information.” He urged the government to include a clause in the state act governing the welfare of cane farmers to levy fines on sugar mills that fail to pay farmers within the stipulated period.

Hitting out at the chief minister for remarks he made regarding cane farmers on Sunday, Kurbur urged Kumaraswamy to issue an apology. He threatened to launch a statewide agitation in case the government fails address the problems of sugarcane growers.

Farmers have been demanding arrears from sugar factories but, instead of solving their problems, the CM referred to agitating farmers as “goondas”, which is condemnable, Kurbur said.

Pushpa Prasad, the head of the association’s women’s wing, also condemned the chief minister’s remarks, particularly his comment to woman farmer Jayashree, who was part of the agitation in Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on Sunday, and demanded that he apologise.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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