Mudalagi: Senior BJP leader and Member of Parliament Jagadish Shettar on Monday extended his support to sugarcane farmers protesting for the fifth consecutive day at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk. The farmers have been demanding a minimum price of ₹3,500 per tonne for sugarcane, reports Deccan Herald.
Addressing the protesters, Shettar assured them that he would take up their concerns with the relevant authorities to ensure that their demands are met.
Farmers from Belagavi, Vijayapura, and Bagalkot districts—under the banner of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha & Hasiru Sene and several other organisations—have been blocking the busy Nippani–Mudhol State Highway since October 29. Their primary demand is a fair price for sugarcane.
Speaking to reporters, Shettar recalled that during his tenure as Sugar Minister and State Minister, he had made consistent efforts to resolve sugarcane pricing issues before the start of the crushing season.
“The law for deciding the state advisory price is already in place, but the current government has stayed silent even after six days of protests. Farmers must stay united in their fight for a fair price. History shows that when farmers stand together, they can make the government listen,” he said.
As per the news report, Shettar further added that he would personally engage with relevant authorities and the Central government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to address the farmers’ demand to amend the Fair and Remunerative Price based on the 10.5% recovery rate announced by the Centre.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha President Chonappa Pujari alleged that sugar factories in the region were being controlled by powerful politicians and ministers who were blocking the farmers’ demands.
He named Public Works Department and District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Jarkiholi, and Dr. Prabhakar Kore among those who influence the sugar industry in the region. Pujari urged the government to intervene and ensure that the farmers receive the fair price they are seeking.
Advocates, ex-servicemen, and religious leaders also visited the protest site to express solidarity with the farmers. Similar demonstrations were reported in Chikkodi, Gokak, Kagwad, Channamma Kittur, Bailhongal, and other parts of the Belagavi district, where farmers stopped vehicles carrying sugarcane as part of their ongoing agitation.
