Mysuru: Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association activists on Saturday staged a protest in front of DC’s office, urging the state govt to release an additional Rs 100 incentive per tonne of sugarcane supplied by them to sugar factories.The protesters said CM Siddaramaiah had announced to provide an incentive of Rs 100 per tonne of sugarcane after bowing to their demands in Nov. The state govt will provide Rs 50, while sugar mills will give an equal sum.Even though the state govt released its share of the amount to sugar mills to release it to growers, several managements of mills have not yet provided it to growers, including Nanjangud-based Bannari Amman Sugar Mills and Male Mahadeshwara Sugar Factory at Kunthur in Kollegal taluk in Chamarajanagar district, they alleged.Several mills in north Karnataka districts already released this incentive, complying with the govt order to this effect last month, they stated. Meanwhile, the protesters also urged the govt to fill water to lakes, give permission for farmers for production of ethanol, compensate loss for farmers who suffered crop loss in last month’s hailstorms, accompanied by heavy rain in Chamarajanagar district.The protesters, led by association president Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj, threatened to stage a protest outside the residence of district minister H C Mahadevappa if their demands are not fulfilled.DC Laksmikanth Reddy, who received the memorandum, promised to deposit the incentives to sugarcane growers once legal hurdles related to distribution of incentives are cleared.
