Sugarcane growers, who have called off their dharna temporarily and dropped their plan to storm the Suvarna Soudha, where the winter session of the Legislature is on, have said that they will resume their agitation, if the government fails to convince or “force” the sugar mill owners to pay a fair and remunerative price of Rs. 2,500 per tonne of sugarcane.
Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, Kodihalli Chandrashekar, president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), who is spearheading the sugarcane growers’ agitation, clarified that the farmers have just deferred the agitation and not withdrawn it, as had been reported.
“We have given an opportunity to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take up the issue with Union Agriculture Minister in New Delhi on December 6,” he said.
During the two rounds of talks on Monday, growers appealed to Mr. Siddaramaiah to increase the incentive by another Rs. 100. But, in view of the fiscal constraints, he appealed to the growers to accept Rs. 250. The Chief Minister promised to seek the Union government’s assistance. “Hence, we have deferred the agitation,” he said and added that “the farmers are not happy with the price offered.”
About sugar mill owners refusing to pay Rs. 2,400 for a tonne of sugarcane, he said that the Chief Minister should show “political will” by asking mill owners to adhere to the law.
