Activists and farmers led by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Vice-President Basavaraj Malalli on Friday surprised the police by organising a rasta roko at two places in support of their demands, including Rs.3,000 per tonne for sugarcane without any deduction. The protests took place at Yargatti and Vantamuri Cross.
Traffic and vehicular movement was affected for a while when some farmers protested near Vantamuri Cross, about 20 km from Belagavi city.
The KRRS demanded that the government adopt the Delhi government’s model on compensation for crop losses due to natural calamities. The AAP government in Delhi had announced Rs.50,000 per acre for crop losses, which should be replicated in Karnataka in the best interest of the growers who suffered crop losses due to drought and excess rainfalls.
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The other major demands of the farmers are waiver of entire outstanding crop loans considering three successive spells of drought resulting in financial losses to the growers, payment of sugarcane price dues and out-of-court settlement of the Mahadayi water dispute.
One of the objectives behind organising the rasta roko at Yargatti was to remind the government on the long-pending proposal on Sattigeri Lift Irrigation Scheme to provide irrigation to agricultural fields of farmers of Sattigeri and adjoining villages of Savadatti taluk.
Mr. Malalli said the KRRS leaders would meet the Irrigation Minister who is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Murgod Lift Irrigation Scheme near Murgod of Savadatti taluk. The scheme was accorded administrative approval in 2007 itself but was delayed to take up construction works for the past nine years.
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