K'taka sugarcane farmers threaten stir

Mysore, Mar 9 (UNI) The Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association today threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the State Government failed to fulfill its demands, including announcing minimum support price for sugarcane.

Talking to newspersons, Association President Kurabur Shanthakumar said the Government should immediately release Rs 160 per tonne of sugarcane as support price along with the arrears to farmers.

As decided in the March 1 meeting with Governor Rameshwar Thakur and the Chief Secretary, necessary action should be taken to distribute the money through the Deputy Commissioners concerned and release Rs 2 per tonne up to 30 km towards transporation charges for the farmers, he said.

He said a meeting of Members of Parliament, along with farmers' representatives, would take up the issue of MSP for sugarcane and scientific price for other crops with the Union Government on March 13. Besides, Mysore and Chamarajanagara cane growers would meet on March 11 in the city to chart the future course of action if the Government did not respond to their demands, he added.

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