Sugarcane farmers stage road-roko

Mysore, May 21 (UNI) Hundreds of tourist and passenger vehicles were stranded on the Mysore-Ooty Highway for more than an hour following a road-roko agitation by sugarcane growers, near here, today.

The farmers from Mysore and Chamarajanagara districts, led by Mysore District Sugarcane Growers Association President Kurubar Santhakumar, sat on the highway in protest against the Karnataka Government's delay in release of support price of Rs 160 per tonne.

The support price was announced by the government three months ago, they said and claimed it owed Rs 480 crore to the growers in the region.

Mr Santhkumar alleged the government also failed to release a compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre announced by it in case of sugar factories failing to lift the sugarcane.

Stating there were 160 sugarcane growers waiting for the compensation in Mysore district alone, he threatened to intensify the agitation, if the money was not released immediately.

UNI BSP MSP DS KD NS2006