HOSPET: Life in Hospet city, which is adjacent to the world-famous Hampi, was affected today following a "bandh" observed by the growers demanding higher price for sugarcane. The "bandh", which was near total, passed off peacefully.

For the last nine days, sugarcane growers in and around Hospet had been staging dharna demanding higher price.

They wanted that in view of good sugar recovery rate (10.4 per cent), the ISR sugar factory in the city should give Rs. 1,300 per tonne of sugarcane. But the factory had announced Rs. 1,100 or Rs. 1,110 as the price.

In vain

Efforts by the district administration to settle the issue through negotiations went in vain when the two parties struck to their stand. The farmers said that when Rs. 1,165 per tonne was the price fixed for sugarcane that had low recovery, the sugarcane produced in and around Hospet should fetch a higher price.

Failed efforts

When all their efforts failed, farmers called for "Hospet bandh" to draw the attention of all concerned towards their plight.

The usually bustling city was deserted on Tuesday with all shops and business establishments, hotels, cinemas and other offices remaining closed. Even schools and colleges, educational institutions and banks were closed. Buses remained off the road leaving the tourists in the lurch.

Farmers' delegation

Meanwhile, Home Minister M.P. Prakash met a delegation of farmers at Vaikunt guesthouse and assured them that he would intervene in the matter.

He told presspersons that the demand of the farmers was scientific and he had convened a meeting of farmers and factory management on December 16.

He would prevail upon the factory management to pay higher price. He said that the Kothari Sugars in Sirguppa taluk in the district had agreed to lift about two lakh tones of sugarcane at Rs. 1,125 per tonne and bear the transportation cost and discussions were on in this regard.

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