Karnataka CM Slams Union Minister: Ethanol Allocation Sparks Farmer Fury

Issuing a statement on Friday, CM Siddaramaiah stated, "I demand that Union Minister Joshi apologise to the farmers of Karnataka for his false statements made with the sole intention of turning them against our government."

"There is still time — let him urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order higher ethanol procurement from Karnataka and wash away the sin of betraying our farmers," CM Siddaramaiah stated.

"Our demand is simple — ethanol allocation should be proportionate to production capacity. Instead of supporting this pro-farmer demand, Pralhad Joshi has spoken against us, thereby betraying the farmers of Karnataka," CM Siddaramaiah said.

"It has been proven once again that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has made falsehood his family deity, by claiming that 'the allocation of ethanol to oil marketing companies from Karnataka is 116.30 crore litres and not 47 crore litres', and that 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has quoted figures belonging to Jharkhand'," CM Siddaramaiah stated.

"When stating such a blatant lie with shameless confidence, Union Minister Joshi should have at least remembered the dignity of the ministerial position he holds. In the press conference, I had spoken only about the ethanol allocation to oil marketing companies from Karnataka for the financial year 2024–25," CM Siddaramaiah stated.

For 2024–25, Karnataka’s 46 distilleries have a total ethanol production capacity of 270 crore litres, of which only 47 crore litres have been allocated to oil companies, he stated.

"These figures are not from the Karnataka government, but from the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi himself, who gave this information as an answer in the Lok Sabha on August 6, 2025," CM Siddaramaiah pointed out.

"Therefore, either Joshi’s statement today is false or his answer in Parliament was false. Whichever is accepted, Joshi cannot escape being branded a liar," the CM stated.

This is not the first time that Karnataka has faced injustice regarding ethanol procurement. Between 2021–22 and 2024–25, Karnataka’s total ethanol production capacity stood at 879 crore litres, while the amount purchased from the state was only 171 crore litres. Is this not a grave injustice by the Central Government to the sugarcane farmers of Karnataka? CM Siddaramaiah questioned.

In contrast, the state of Gujarat has an annual ethanol production capacity of 40 crore litres, yet 31 crore litres have been allocated to oil marketing companies. Where is the justice in this? CM Siddaramaiah asked.

"Respected Mr. Joshi, even Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who belongs to your own party, has written to you urging an increase in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane and a higher Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar. BJP leaders from Karnataka themselves have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting an increase in Karnataka’s ethanol allocation. Yet the Central Government remains blind, " he stated.

"Minister Joshi lacks both the courage and the commitment to stand up before the Prime Minister and demand justice for farmers. All he can do is stir up political controversies with false statements," he criticised.

- IANS