Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced in the Assembly the government would take strict penal action against sugar mills that failed to pay Rs 2,500 a tonne to farmers. Also, the government will provide Rs 150 a tonne support price, he said. This comes after the suicide of a cane farmer in front of the Assembly building on Wednesday. The minister also waived the road tax, value added tax and purchase tax on cane. This will cost the exchequer Rs 500 crore. Siddaramaiah announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased farmer Vittala Bheemappa Arabhavi (58), who had a small farm at Kankanawadi in Raibhag taluk of Belgaum district.
Soon after the House met, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members staged a dharna and created a ruckus. They demanded the minister's resignation for his failure to protect the interests of the farmers.
