Madikeri: While the coffee growers have raised their apprehensions over the Coffee Bill-2016, which would be enacted after repealing Coffee Act, 1942, the district BJP has vouched that the government has decided to enact the Bill only to safeguard the interest of the coffee growers.
Addressing the news conference, District BJP Chief Manu Muthappa said that the growers are free to deliberate upon the pros and cons of the Bill and they can even file objections by August 31.
“There are confusions with regard to the Bill among the growers but with the GST in place, there is no question of Central Excise Department intervening in the issues pertaining to the coffee,” he said adding that ultimately coffee growers will become heads of Coffee Board, which is a laudable move.
However, raising exception to the fact that the Bill cuts down the number of members to the Coffee Board, Manu Muthappa said that the new Bill reduces the number from the existing 10 members and hence he opined that the number must be increased to 12.
He said that the new Bill talks of registration of Coffee plantations, which is the need of the hour as in case of Kodagu there are several small growers and hence there are possibility of misuse of the plantation. He opined that registration will stop misuse.
