Sugarcane growers staged a protest fast here on Friday demanding that State government grant Rs.3,500 per tonne as procurement price for cane purchased from the farmers and take steps to get the Rs.900-crore arrears owed to them released by sugar mills across the State.
The CPI (M)-leaning Tamil Nadu Sugar Cane Growers Association's protest fast held in front of the Panagal Buildings sought to highlight its charter of demands, including urging the Central government to drop the controversial Land Acquisition Bill that the association alleged was “anti-farmer”, and stressing the Centre to force Karnataka drop the plan to construct a reservoir across the River Cauvery at Mekedatu, among other issues.
State secretary D.Kasinathan led the protest fast launched by the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam district secretary Samy Natarajan. Association State Committee members P.M.Khader Hussain and S.Thambusamy, and president of Kurungulam Sugar Mills Cane Suppliers Association S.Ramanathan spoke.
Speakers pointed out that the AIADMK had in the run up to the Assembly elections promised to hike the cane purchase price to Rs. 3,000 per tonne but had not kept the promise even after four years in power.
Also, the private sugar mills in the State had not cared to pay the growers and cane suppliers in full even the lesser purchase price recommended by the State and the dues from the private and cooperative sugar mills had accumulated to Rs. 900 crore.
The Centre must take steps to get the mills owned by State governments and operated under cooperative departments to export sugar and earn better returns as being done by the private mills.
The Centre extends Rs.277 subsidy for each bag of sugar exported.
Also the Centre must immediately revoke the hike in interest for farm credit that was pinching the farmers a lot.
The Centre must also withdraw the controversial Land Acquisition Bill which was patently “anti-farmer” and which sought to take away the livelihood of a majority of small and marginal farmers.
Reservoir across the Cauvery at Mekedatu would be a huge setback for the farmers in Tamil Nadu as they would lose water for irrigation. Hence, the Centre must stop Karnataka from going ahead with its “nefarious plan”, they added.
“Land Acquisition Bill is completely ‘anti-farmer”’
“Centre must stop Karnataka from building reservoir”
