Mudhol (Karnataka): The ongoing agitation by sugarcane growers in Karnataka intensified on Wednesday as violence erupted in Mudhol. What started as a peaceful protest turned violent when farmers set ablaze tractors loaded with sugarcane that were lined up for nearby sugar factory. The vehicles, parked near the factory gate, were completely gutted, causing panic in the vicinity.
According to reports, hundreds of farmers, demanding higher sugarcane price, blocked the route and set the vehicles on fire to express their anger. Police and fire personnel rushed to the spot to extinguish the flames, but most of the cane and tractors were destroyed before the fire was brought under control.
Farmers have been insisting on higher cane price, rejecting the government’s proposed price.
A large police force has been deployed around the sugar factory to prevent further unrest. The situation remains tense as hundreds of farmers continue their march toward the factory, demanding immediate intervention from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s government to address their long-pending issues.
The Bagalkot region, a key sugarcane-producing area, has witnessed multiple protests in recent months, over pricing and delayed payments.
Last week, the state government had fixed the procurement price of sugarcane, at Rs 3,300 per tonne. While farmers in Belagavi and few other parts accepted the price fixed by the government and withdrew their protest, those in Bagalkote and Haveri districts and few other areas continued their agitation, terming the decision “confusing”.
