Chunappa Pujeri and other KRRS leaders speaking to reporters in Belagavi on Monday.
| Photo Credit: P.K. BADIGER
Farmers’ associations will hold a ‘Rasta Roko’ protest in Belagavi district on Tuesday, after talks between farmers’ leaders and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi failed in New Delhi on Monday.
Farmers would block the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway in Hattaragi and Hire Bagewadi in Belagavi district on Tuesday. A State-wide protest would be held next month, leaders said in Belagavi on Monday.
“Over 100 representatives of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KSSR), Hasiru Sene, Kabbu Belegarara Okkoota and other farmers’ groups went to New Delhi today to participate in talks with Mr. Joshi. Our main demands were to increase the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar and the Fair and Remunerative Price of sugarcane, but the Union Minister flatly refused our demands. We have no other option but to resume our protests,” Chunappa Pujeri, KRRS leader, told reporters.
“We told the Minister that the cost of farm inputs had gone up three times in recent years, but the MSP for sugar had not been revised for nine years now. He would not listen. He said that he would need at least one month to arrive at any decision about the issue. This is the same government that increases petrol prices overnight, but seeks one month to revise prices of sugar. This is unacceptable,” the leader said.
“Looking at how Mr. Joshi behaved with our leaders, it is clear that he wanted to stall our protests and insult us by inviting us to New Delhi. One of our demands was that the Union government introduce differential pricing for sugar and allow factories to sell sugar at higher prices to industries, but this was not accepted. This means that the BJP-led NDA government is in favour of industrialists and not the common man,” he said.
“We have been fighting for our right to livelihood and remunerative prices for sugarcane for four months now, but the Union government, which is the main stakeholder in the issue, has remained insensitive to our grievances. It has become clear to us that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Joshi are against farmers’ interests,’’ Mr. Pujeri said.
The farmers’ other demands included the settlement of all dues of sugarcane farmers, an assurance of higher prices compared to the previous year, and a higher profit share for sugarcane and maize farmers in the sale of ethanol. They also demanded that crushing in factories start within a week.
Published – October 12, 2026 08:35 pm IST
