The Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association will stage an indefinite dharna outside the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on February 9, demanding clearance of dues of Rs. 1,800 crore for sugarcane crushed last year, and payment for sugarcane crushed this year as per the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of Rs. 2,200 a tonne fixed by the Union government.
The State committee of the association, which met here on Tuesday, has also decided to launch a one-day dharna in all district headquarters on February 2, the day the joint session of the State legislature begins.
Addressing presspersons after the meeting, association president Kurubur Shantakumar accused the State government of dancing to the tune of sugar factories.
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Mr. Shantakumar said that merely issuing notices to sugar factories to clear the dues would not provide any answers. The government should act tough and use penal powers to make the sugar factories fall in line, he said.
To a question, he said the State Administered Price for sugarcane for the current season was likely to be announced in the last week of February or first week of March.