Sugarcane growers stage protest in Belagavi demanding payment of arrears
Sugar mills in the district owe ₹300 crore to farmers, says the former Minister Sashikanth Naik
Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Belagavi on Wednesday, demanding State action against factories that have not paid arrears to sugarcane growers.
Protestors marched from Rani Channamma Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They raised slogans against the State government and the Sugar Commissioner for not taking action against factories that have retained huge arrears.
The protestors cooked food on the street using gas cylinders, stoves and utensils. They raised slogans against the management of the factories for delaying the payments.
The former Minister Sashikanth Naik said that 64 sugar mills in Karnataka have a total outstanding bills of over ₹604 crore.
“Of this amount, ₹300 crore is to come from the factories in Belagavi district. Farmers are facing hardship due to delay in payments,” he said.
He demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Sugar Minister Sivananda Patil should take urgent action to solve this problem.
He informed protestors that officers of Hira Sugar Factory had promised that all the bills will be paid by June 25. And, officials of Someshwar Sugar Factory came to the venue and told farmers that the due amount will be paid by July 1.
A protestor Prakash Nayak said that most factories were not following the rule that factories should pay bills of farmers within 15 days of supplying sugarcane. He complained that the State government has done little other than issuing notices to the factories.
Leaders Choonappa Poojary, Chamarasa Malipatil, P.S. Bogur and others were present.
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