BELAGAVI: Despite Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s assurance that he would convene a meeting of sugarcane growers, sugar factory owners and other stakeholders at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi after Dasara to find a lasting solution to their problems, the agitating sugarcane farmers decided to continue their stir on Saturday.
Shivakumar met the protesters at Kittur, where their padayatra halted, and appealed to them to suspend the agitation and give dialogue a chance.
However, the farmers insisted that they needed a clear assurance from Union Minister Pralhad Joshi as well. They invited Joshi to visit Kittur on October 18, pay floral tributes to Rani Channamma and assure them of a solution to their demands.
"We will welcome him with a grand garland if he comes to Kittur and assures us that our problems will be resolved,” the farmers said.
Addressing the protesters, Shivakumar said the government understood the plight of sugarcane growers, whose incomes were declining despite rising prices.
He initially proposed holding a meeting in Bengaluru but later agreed to convene it at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.
He said sugar factory owners would be brought to the negotiating table in the presence of farmer representatives to discuss cane prices and issues affecting the sugar industry.
Officials of the Union government would also be invited, he added. Shivakumar further assured the farmers that he would take their representatives along to meet Union ministers to press for a resolution.
However, he did not confirm whether Joshi would attend the proposed meeting in Belagavi.
"The farmers have demonstrated their strength through this agitation, and their grievances have reached the government. Now, all stakeholders must sit together and arrive at a decision,” he said.
Pointing out that the issue could not be resolved by the State government alone, he said the Centre, State government, sugar factories, banks and farmers would have to work together to find a solution.
While acknowledging the difficulties cited by factory owners, Shivakumar said they must also fulfil their responsibilities. The government had to ensure that factories continued to operate while protecting the interests of sugarcane growers, he added.
Appealing to the protesters to maintain peace, he urged them to avoid untoward incidents and cooperate with the government in resolving the dispute through negotiations.
However, the assurance failed to persuade the farmers to call off their agitation, as neither a specific sugarcane price nor a firm date for the proposed meeting was announced.
The farmers are now awaiting concrete commitments from both the State government and the Centre.