Sugarcane growers to hold Rally on Oct 29

Mysore, Oct 27 (UNI) Sugarcane growers in Karnataka have decided a to take out a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' rally on October 29 to bring pressure on the Government to announce a scientific price for purchase of sugarcane by sugar mills for 2007-2008 said Kurubur Shanthakumar, President Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Association here.

Addressing newspersons here, he said over 25,000 sugarcane growing farmers, from all over the state would assemble at Bangalore City Railway Station on Monday and march towards Rajbhavan.

He urged the sugar mills in the state to make payment of Rs 193 crore pending to the farmers.

He demanded that the State government should fix the price based on the costs incurred for cultivation. The sugarmills should reimburse to the farmers the benefit they accurred on account of the government's waiver of purchase tax.

As a compensation, the government should pay Rs 25000 per acre to sugarcane farmers whose produce was not purchased by sugar mills, he added. He said the government should provide farmers with a subsidy of Rs 300 per tonne towards transportation of sugarcane.

UNI