Farmers, led by Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene, staged a protest in Davangere, demanding more subsidy for paddy.
   The State Government should follow Kerala government in giving subsidy of Rs 400 per quintal in stead of the present amount of Rs 40 per quintal. If the government gives subsidy at Rs 400, there is no need of other help in the form of free electricity, waiving of loan. However, they sought fixing scientific price for paddy.
   The leaders Nituvalli Kengappa and Huchchavvanahalli Manjunath sought inspection of paddy grown in the Bhadra catchment area alleging that 30 per cent of paddy grown here were adulterated.  The scientists, who came to inspect this did not give report even after 15 days, trying to down the curtain on the issue, they alleged.
   The deputy commissioner should intervene to provide justice to the farmers. Besides, the sugarcane grown in more than 200 acres of land in the district is withering as the factories have not yet harvested the crop. They also demanded the government to open a purchase centre for sugarcane. They kept sugarcane laden tractor in front of the deputy commissioner’s office as symbol of their protest. Earlier they took out a protest rally from Biralingeswara temple to the Deputy Commissioner’s office.