Sugarcane growers staged a demonstration in front of the new Deputy Commissioner’s office on Bannur Road here on Monday, August 14, in support of their demands, including the key demand of payment of arrears of ₹150 per tonne of sugarcane supplied to the sugar factories.
Led by Kurubur Shanthkumar, president, State Sugarcane Growers’ Association, the farmers attempted to climb the DC’s office main gate and enter the premises but the police prevented them from doing so. Unable to enter the premises, the farmers sat in front of the main gate and staged a demonstration raising slogans.
Earlier, the farmers under the leadership of Mr. Shanthkumar took out a march from the Lalitha Mahal Grounds to the new DC office seeking fulfillment of their demands. On reaching the DC office, some farmers tried to climb the locked gate to enter the office premises but the police personnel foiled their attempt.
While demanding that their demands need to be fulfilled at the earliest, the protesting farmers said the arrears of ₹150 a tonne of sugarcane has not been paid by the factories despite several meetings with the DC. The farmers are also demanding ₹4,000 per tonne of sugarcane that was supplied to the factories besides harvesting and transportation charges from the factories. They have also sought uninterrupted power supply to the irrigation pumpsets.
