Shiv sainiks throw sugarcane at Mantralaya main gate

Mumbai, May 29 (UNI) A group of Shiv Sena legislators from Marathwada today unloaded a truck-load of sugarcane at the main gate of the state secretariat-Mantralaya to lodge protest against the chief minister, deputy chief minister and cooperation minister's ''non-availability'' to discuss farmers' problems.

Leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly Ramdas Kadam demanded that farmers, whose sugarcane would be uncrushed, be paid a compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare.

Mr Kadam told UNI that a group of 10 sena legislators from Marathwada led by himself and Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire sat for dharna at Azad maidan alongwith hundreds of farmers.

He said apart from Rs 50,000 compensation, the farmers should also be given some grant to survive. Tomorrow, a Sena delegation will call on Governor S M Krishna to press their demands.

BJP, the poll ally of the Shiv Sena, has also taken up the issue and demanded compensation of Rs 40,000 for uncrushed sugarcane per hectare.

UNI