BENGALURU: The large scale protest by farmers in the city and elsewhere in the state was called off on Monday afternoon after the Government agreed to listen to their demands at a meeting called for by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday afternoon. The agitating farmers, who had threatened to march to the Vidhana Soudha if their demands were not met, were assured by co-operation minister Bandeppa Kashempur who went to Freedom park and spoke to them in the absence of Kumaraswamy.
"This government is a pro-farmer government. We have taken major steps to waive loans of farmers, no where else in India has this been done on such a large scale. We will support the farmers," he said after addressing those gathered. On the issue of minimum support price for sugarcane farmers, the minister said that he was heading the cabinet sub-committee on the issue and that necessary arrangements would be made. Another major demand, the clearing of arrears, owed to the farmers by sugar factories, would be addressed by Kumaraswamy in Tuesday's meeting, Kashempur said.
After the assurance of the meeting on Tuesday, the strike was called off temporarily. "The government said they would call us for a discussion on our issues. We have given them 15 days' time for the same. If after 15 days there is no progress, we will resume our protest," said Nagendra B, one of the farmers at Freedom Park.