From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Feb 24: Sugarcane growers of Karnataka have submitted a list of 25 demands to the State government, including immediate payment of arrears of Rs 1,600 crore to them from the sugar mills.

Office-bearers of Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association led by its President Kurubur Shanta Kumar submitted the 25-point charter of before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a pre-budget meeting in Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday.

The sugarcane growers expressed concern that sugar factories had not paid last year’s arrears amounting to Rs 1,600 crore to them and demanded that the Government itself should pay the arrears to them and recover the amount from the factories.

In the memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, Kumar demanded allocation of Rs 40,000 crore to the agriculture sector in the State budget, which is scheduled to be presented on March 13.

Major demands of sugarcane growers are: a revolving fund for sugarcane for the benefit of cane growers during the crisis period; fix compensation for crop loss on scientific lines; sanctioning of loans at an interest rate of zero per cent by nationalised banks; pension for growers who have attained age of 60 years; crop insurance for sugarcane and equal payment of insurance premium by factories and growers; and autonomy to agriculture price commission and appointment of five farmers to the commission.