Sugarcane farmers call off protest after minister Shivanand Patil visits site, persuades them

Belagavi: The 10-day-long protest by sugarcane growers at Gurlapur Cross in the district, pressing the government to fulfil their eight-point demand, ended on Saturday following a request by Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil.

The farmers, who had announced ending the protest on Friday, had resumed their protest on Saturday at Gurlapur Cross seeking clarity from the government on the decisions taken during the meeting with sugar factory owners.

Shivanand Patil rushed to the protest site, along with an order copy, to persuade farmers to end the protest. Addressing the farmers, Patil said, The chief minister has announced assistance to the crisis-ridden farmers. The Centre is responsible for the confusion over price. We have done everything we could... I request you to end the protest.”

Raitha Sangh state honorary president Shashikant Guruji and state president Chunappa Pujari called off the protest. The farmer leaders said, “The price announced by the government will vary based on the recovery rate. The government should order the factory owners to pay uniform prices across the state,” they demanded.

Patil further said, “The sugar mills are plagued with several issues. There is not much difference in the pricing of sugar manufactured for domestic use and industrial use. They are incurring losses because of it. They have written to Union minister Pralhad Joshi for the revision of the prices of refined sugar used for industrial needs. But the union minister has not bothered to address the problems faced by the farmers and mill owners,” he charged.

“I thought the district minister would intervene and resolve the sugarcane growers’ issues. I was wrong. Because of the delay in meeting you and listening to your grievances, I faced your wrath. You threw bottles, slippers,” he said.

Pralhad Joshi

On the allegations of fraudulent weighing of cane by factories, Shivanand Patil said, “This is concerned with the department managed by K H Muniyappa. I will bring it to his notice,” he told farmers.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday had announced that the factories have agreed to pay Rs 3250 per tonne of sugarcane and the government would contribute Rs 50 per tonne, bringing the total to Rs 3,300.

Bailhongal town wears a deserted look due to a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by various farmer organisations demanding the MSP of Rs 3500 per tonne of sugarcane on Saturday.

Cong govt targeting Centre to hide failure: Joshi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for blaming the Centre over the ongoing sugarcane growers’ protest asserting that it is the state government’s mismanagement that has pushed farmers into distress. Speaking to reporters in Dharwad Joshi questioned why such protests are taking place only in Karnataka and not in other sugarcane-growing states. “This clearly shows that the Karnataka government has failed to pass on the benefits to sugarcane growers leading to the current turmoil” he said. The union minister pointed out that sugarcane prices in Maharashtra Haryana Punjab Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are higher compared to Karnataka even though these states have fixed the same Minimum Support Price (MSP) as announced by the Centre.

Bailhongal bandh total; farmers end indefinite stir

The Bailhongal bandh called by the sugarcane farmers and several farmer organisations on Saturday demanding Rs 3500 per tonne of sugarcane was total and complete reports DHNS from Belagavi. The protesters expressed their anguish by throwing stones at the Inamdar Sugar factory office and setting fire on tyres. Isolated incidents of stone pelting on buses and shops were reported. The agitating farmers took out a bike rally in the town. Former MLA Vishwanath Patil Shrishail Bolannavar Shankar Madalagi Mahantesh Kamatar F S Siddanagouda among others took part in the protest. The farmers announced ending their indefinite protest in the evening following Minister Shivanand Patil’s visit to Gurlapur Cross.