H K Patil calls agitating sugarcane growers for talks; protesters in no mood to relent

The farmers’ protest, demanding a minimum support price of Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk entered its seventh day on Wednesday.  

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil visited the agitating sugarcane growers at the protest site and called them for talks with the chief ministers.

Addressing the protesters, the minister said, “The chief minister has asked me to visit the protest and listen to the sugarcane growers’ demand. Our government will respond to your woes. But only the CM or I cannot resolve the problem. The government has to look at all the dimensions - sugarcane growers’ demand, sugar mill owners’ views, FRP, MSP et al. Hence, I invite 20 farmer leaders to come for talks with the CM.”

The minister continued: “The government had announced the installation of scientifically calibrated machines to ensure transparency in sugarcane weighing and put curbs on fraudulent weighing of cane. I completely agree with the farmers on bringing down sugar recovery costs. 

I am with the farmers on some of their demands like clearing bills within 15 days of cane supply to mills; reinstatement of previous sugar commissioner who was transferred at the behest of sugar lobby; reestablishment of sugar commissionerate; 12 hours of uninterrupted power supply; ensuring transparency in cane transportation,” Patil said and told the protesters that the problems can be addressed on the spot. 

The minister called the farmer representatives to come to Bengaluru for a discussion with all the stakeholders.

But the protesters are in no mood to relent. They want the government to announce the MSP of Rs 3,500 per tonne and fulfil their eight-point demands.

Protest intensifies

Meanwhile, the sugarcane growers’ protest has intensified in the cane-growing districts of the Krishna basin. All 15 taluks in the Belagavi district witnessed protests by farmers on Wednesday. They staged shirtless protests on the state highway and slept on the highway at night.

Raibag witnessed a complete shutdown. The vehicular movement was sparse in Belagavi city and Gokak, Bailhongal and Kagwad towns. Many taluks in Bagalkot and Vijayapura also saw similar protests.

BYV celebrates b’day at protest site

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra slept with the protesters on the state highway at Gurlapur Cross on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he celebrated his birthday by eating sugarcane and jaggery at the protest site.

“The farmers are in crisis and I won’t celebrate my birthday. I wanted to be with you, but since minister H K Patil is visiting the protest site, I am leaving. I don’t want to see the issue take a political turn,” Vijayendra said before leaving the site.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra celebrates his birthday at the protest site on Wednesday morning. BJP Rajya Sabha member Iranna Kadadi and party spokesperson Rajeev Kudachi are seen. Vijayendra expressed his solidarity with the protest by staying overnight with the farmers.