BELAGAVI: Sugarcane growers from north Karnataka, who are on a padayatra on the national highway near Belagavi following a two-day blockade of the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway, reached Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on Thursday evening en route to the residence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi in Hubballi.
They decided to take their protest to the Union Minister's doorstep after the Centre failed to give a clear assurance on their demands despite constituting a committee to examine the issues raised by sugarcane growers.
The protesters are demanding a price of Rs 5,500 per tonne of sugarcane, an increase in the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar to Rs 60 per kg, and a revision of ethanol prices. They want the Centre and the State government to take concrete decisions to address the concerns of cane growers as the sugarcane harvesting and crushing season approaches.
The padayatra passed through Hattargi, Yamakanamaradi, Narsingpur, Vantamuri, Kakti and Muktimath before reaching Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on the outskirts of Belagavi (a distance of 25 km). The farmers are scheduled to proceed towards Hubballi on Friday to intensify their protest.
State Raitha Sangha president Chunnappa Pujari said the agitation would continue until the Centre fulfilled their demands.
"Union Minister Pralhad Joshi does not understand the hardships faced by farmers. The Centre is continuously doing injustice to them. We will continue our agitation. Even if the government opens fire on us, we will not withdraw our protest," he said.
Though the Centre’s decision to constitute a committee is seen as a step towards addressing the issue, farmers remain dissatisfied in the absence of a clear decision on sugarcane prices.
With the crushing season approaching, uncertainty over cane prices has heightened concerns among growers, who say their financial difficulties could worsen if their demands remain unresolved.
The farmers have warned that they would intensify the agitation across Karnataka if the Centre and the State government fail to respond positively.