Sugarcane farmers end stir after Shivakumar's assurance

Sugarcane growers on Friday withdrew their indefinite protest following the assurance by Minister D K Shivakumar that the state would fulfil their demands in two weeks time.

The growers, under the banner of Bharatiya Krishik Samaj and Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, had been protesting, in front of the deputy commissioner’s office, for their dues from the sugar mills and increased Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) among others.

The growers had continued their agitation despite the instruction to the sugar mill owners by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, asking them to clear the pending dues and pay an additional Rs 300 on FRP.

Farmer leader Siddegouda Modagi had even launched an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday.

Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, who was in the city to attend the International Nursing Conference, visited the protest site and managed to convince the farmers to end their strike.

“I have come here to hold talks with you as a representative of the government. The Kumaraswamy-led government will fulfil all your demands in 15 days. Please end the agitation,” Shivakumar urged the farmers.

Unrelenting farmers

The agitating sugarcane growers in Mudhol, Bagalkot district, are in no mood to relent. The protesting farmers said that they would end their three-week-long strike only after the sugar mill owners give an undertaking to the deputy commissioner that they would pay Rs 2,500 per tonne of cane and honour the current year FRP.