Tensions reached a boiling point in Belagavi on Tuesday as hundreds of sugarcane growers attempted to storm the Deputy Commissioner’s office, demanding the immediate settlement of long-pending arrears. The demonstration, organized under the banner of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, highlights the intensifying friction between agriculturalists and sugar mill operators over unpaid dues for the 2023-24 crushing season.
High Drama at the District Headquarters
The protest began as a peaceful march but quickly escalated when farmers tried to breach the security perimeter at the Deputy Commissioner’s premises. Police personnel, deployed in significant numbers, managed to foil the attempt, leading to heated exchanges between the authorities and the protestors. Several farmer leaders were briefly detained before being released, as the administration struggled to maintain law and order.
The primary grievance centers on the unpaid Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and the additional state-mandated payments. Despite multiple deadlines set by the government, several private and cooperative sugar factories have reportedly failed to clear the balance owed to the growers, leaving many families in financial distress ahead of the next plantation cycle.
Demand for Strict Action Against Defaulters
Addressing the gathering, farmer representatives criticized the state government for its perceived leniency toward mill owners. “We have been providing our produce on credit for months, but the factories are reaping profits while we struggle to pay off our bank loans,” stated a senior member of the Raitha Sangha. The union has demanded that the district administration take “coercive action,” including the seizure of sugar stocks from defaulting mills to facilitate the payouts.
Future Course of Action
The Deputy Commissioner’s office has assured the protestors that a meeting with factory managements will be convened within the week to resolve the deadlock. However, the farmers have warned of a wider, state-level agitation if their bank accounts do not reflect the cleared dues within the next ten days. They are also seeking an interest rate of 15% on the delayed payments, as per the Sugarcane (Control) Order of 1966.
This standoff in Belagavi, often referred to as the sugar bowl of Karnataka, serves as a critical test for the local administration’s ability to balance the interests of the powerful sugar lobby and the essential agricultural workforce.
