Sugarcane price fixed at Rs 3,300 per tonne, announces CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru.(PTI): With farmers’ protesting in the northern districts of Karnataka, demanding a fair price for their produce, the Karnataka government has decided to fix the price Rs 3,300 per tonne of sugarcane, yielding a recovery of 11.25 per cent, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday.
The CM also appealed to protesting sugarcane farmers to cooperate accepting the new price, and withdraw the agitation.
Sugarcane farmers' protest at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk of Belagavi district demanding a procurement price of Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane entered ninth day on Friday. It has also spread across various parts of north Karnataka districts like Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Haveri among others.
With the protest intensifying, CM Siddaramaiah called for a meeting with farmer leaders and representatives of sugar factories on Friday.
"The Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Belagavi district had offered Rs 3,100 per tonne of sugarcane yielding a recovery of 10.25 per cent, and Rs 3,200 per tonne for recovery of 11.25 per cent," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking to reporters here, after the meeting, he said, "As the protest has continued despite this. In addition to this, today we have taken a decision to pay Rs 50 from factory owners side and Rs 50 from the government. That means to say Rs 100 in total will be paid in addition to what DC had offered to the farmers per metric tonne."
When asked whether the farmers are satisfied, the CM said, "I hope so."
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Pak, Afghan forces trade fire along Chaman border: Report
Islamabad (PTI): A heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces was reported from the key Chaman border, according to a media report on Saturday.
Injuries were reported from the district hospital, but no fatalities occurred, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Officials from both sides accused each other of instigating the flare-up late on Friday night across the border in the Balochistan province.
While Pakistani officials said that Afghan forces had fired mortar shells on the Badani area, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed it was Pakistan that launched an attack on Spin Boldak, alleging that their forces were responding.
Pakistan's official sources told Dawn that Pakistani forces retaliated against the Afghan aggression and returned fire.
There were also reports of fighting on the Chaman-Kandahar highway, but these could not be immediately verified.
A senior official in Quetta confirmed on condition of anonymity that the exchange of fire started around 10 pm and continued until late at night.
The medical superintendent of Chaman district hospital said that three injured, including a woman, were brought to the medical facility.
There was neither any official word from the Inter-Services Public Relations -- Pakistan Army's media wing -- nor from the Foreign Office.
The Chaman border crossing, also known as Friendship Gate, connects Balochistan province to Afghanistan’s Kandahar.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated amidst regular allegations by Pakistan regarding the failure of the Afghan regime to deny safe havens to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists.
The two countries had agreed on a ceasefire following tensions last month, but the Foreign Office said last month that technically there was no truce as it was contingent on the Afghan Taliban stopping terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which they had failed to do.
