A high level meeting to discuss the future prospects of the loss making state-owned, The Mysore Sugar Company Ltd., in Mandya has been convened by the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday.
Elected representatives and a few farmers leaders have been invited to the meeting in Bengaluru.
The controversial move to privatise the nearly century old factory that has remained a backbone for sugar farmers in Mandya had received flak from Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress even as farmers in Mandya have been sitting on a dharna opposing privatisation.
Mr. Bommai, who recently travelled by road to Mysuru to participate in Dasara procession, had met the farmers in Mandya and assured them that a meeting would be convened to solve the impasse.
A controversy had erupted over its privatsation, and Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, who owns sugar factories, had assured the Legislative Council that his group would not participate in the tender process for privatisation, which will be transparent. He, however, stated that privatisation was the best way to bail out the ailing factory.
While the JD (S) had opposed the privatisation and sought the intervention of the Chief Minister to restart the factory under the government control, the Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah had also extended support to the farmers recently and opposed privatisation.