FOR A BETTER DEAL: Farmers staging a rasta roko on Ooty road in Mysore on Wednesday demanding that the Government announce a remunerative support price for sugarcane. — Photo: M.A. Sriram

MYSORE: Farmers' ire against the Government for not announcing a remunerative support price for sugarcane brought traffic on the Mysore-Ooty highway here to a standstill on Wednesday.

Traffic on the busy road was thrown out of gear and passengers were left stranded for nearly three hours following a "rasta roko" by the farmers.

The Mysore-Chamarajanagar Sugarcane Growers' Association organised the agitation in which a large number of farmers participated. They gathered on the highway at Koodanahallo Cross near the Mandakalli airport and blocked traffic in protest against the Government's "indifference" to their long-pending demands.

Kurubur Shantakumar led the farmers from Sollepura, Koodanahalli, Devalapura, Hanchva, Basallihundi and Marase villages. The agitation was not confined to the Ooty road alone. Farmers staged "rasta roko" at Kurubur, Kowdahalli, Kollegal, Hullali, Santhemarahalli, Bannur and Chamarajanagar. The police had a tough time in diverting vehicles from the Nanjangud side via the industrial estate and on to H.D. Kote Road linking Mysore. Similarly, vehicles proceeding towards Nanjangud and Ooty were diverted via Hadinaru village adjacent to the Chamundi Hills. Only ambulances and vehicles carrying patients were allowed to pass. Though senior officials, including Assistant Commissioner Chikkathammaiah, tried to prevail upon the farmers to call off their agitation, they refused. The Assistant Commissioner was gheraoed following which the Deputy Commissioner spoke to Sugar Minister S.A. Ravindranath and urged them to call off the agitation. The Minister promised that a meeting would be held within a week following which farmers withdrew their protest.

Justifying their action, Mr. Shanthakumar said the association had sought an increase in the support price from Rs. 1,015 a tonne to Rs. 1,600. The Government's apathy to the problems faced by sugarcane growers had affected them. Though the Centre had released funds under the Sugar Development Fund, the State Government had failed in reaching the money to beneficiaries.

He said the elected representatives from the region had not taken up the problems of sugarcane growers in the legislature. Several conventions had been held and many appeals made to the State Government seeking a remunerative support price for sugarcane. But no action had been taken "Hence, we were forced to resort to rasta roko," Mr. Shanthakumar said.

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