The Hindu : Karnataka News : Fertilizer issue: farmers block highway

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Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Fertilizer issue: farmers block highway

Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR: Over a thousand farmers, including 200 women, blocked traffic on the Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway (No. 48) in front of the Taluk Agricultural Produce Cooperative Market Society at Kunigal in Tumkur district on Monday.

Interestingly, the farmers were not led by any organisation or a political party.

They had gathered at the society in the morning hoping that the fertilizers would be available. Since last Wednesday, the society staff had been promising them that fertilizers would be made available to them on Monday.

When no fertilizers were forthcoming, farmers from all over the taluk began arriving.

They sat in dharna on the road and blocked traffic. Joint efforts by the society secretary, the taluk tahasildar and the police officials, to pursuade them to lift the road blockade were in vain.

Tumkur Rural MLA, B. Suresh Gowda, visited the farmers and heard their grievances. Deputy Commissioner C. Somasekhara and Superintendent of Police Harsha P.S., met the agitating farmers and promised them that enough fertilizers would be made available by Thursday. The farmers withdrew their agitation following the officials’ promise.

Traffic was disrupted on the highway for over five hours. Schoolchildren and college students were among those who could not reach their institutions in time.

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