Farmers continue their protest on Saturday by blocking the road in Mudhol of Bagalkot district.
Credit: DH Photo
Bagalkot: Farmers in Mudhol continued their protest on Saturday, demanding the payment of pending sugarcane bills from previous years and resolution of the dispute over this year’s fixed sugarcane price.
The protesters blocked the traffic at Sangolli Rayanna Circle in Mudhol from 4 pm, as farmers stopped vehicles on the State Highway. Farmers said that some factories have still not cleared the pending bills from the previous year and urged that these payments be made immediately. They also demanded the release of the second installment for the 2024–25 season.
Farmers said, “We do not agree with the price fixed by the State government this year, based on the deduction. We demand Rs 3,500 per tonne.” Talks held by the deputy commissioner and police officials failed, and the protest continued.
Farmer leaders Basavant Kamble, Muttappa Kommar, and Eerappa Hanchinal stressed that pending bills should be cleared first. They criticised the government for fixing the price without consulting farmers from Bagalkot and Belagavi. Some sugar factory owners claimed that paying Rs 3,500 per tonne would lead to losses. Farmers questioned how factory owners could construct multiple factories if they were operating at a loss.
From Friday night, farmers began an overnight sit-in at a makeshift stage at Sangolli Rayanna Circle.
Devotional songs were sung by KRV leaders Ganapati Bovi and Srikant Magyadi’s team. Farmers from Budni PM taluk also participated in the overnight protest.
Raitha Sangha (Puttannayya Bana) State President Badgalapur Nagendra visited the protest site and expressed support for the Mudhol farmers.
The protest received support from ex-servicemen, members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, and SDPI party workers. Farmers cooked and ate meals on the road. A large number of police personnel were deployed to maintain order.
Leaders Basavantappa Kamble, Dundappa Yaragatti, Subhash Shirboor, Muttappa Komar, Eerappa Hanchinal, Mahesh Patil, Hanamant Biradar Patil, and others participated in the protest.