Sugarcane farmers rally for hike in support prices

MUMBAI, Sept 23: Sugarcane workers from farms and factories across Western Maharashtra today converged at Azad Maidan and marched to Mantra...

MUMBAI, Sept 23: Sugarcane workers from farms and factories across Western Maharashtra today converged at Azad Maidan and marched to Mantralaya, to press their demands for a better remunerative price for cane and for aid to sick sugar factories in the region.

They were organised under the aegis of All India Sugar Workers Co-ordination Committee by the Indian National Trade Union Congress (IMTUC) and the All India Trade Union Committee, and were led by Kishore Pawar, Madhukar Bhise and Madhukar Katre, the convenor and general secretaries of the committee respectively.

The morcha, however, appeared to be rather thin contrary to the expectation that more than 50,000 would turn up for the demonstration.

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The workers were demanding better remunerative prices for cane, Government intervention in restarting sick sugar factories and better irrigation facilities to farmers to enable them to grow cane in ample measure to meet the requirement of the sugar factories each season, among others.

The workers also demanded better wages and a permanent administrative mechanism to address their grievances periodically.

The demonstration in the State capital follows a similar exercise undertaken during the winter session of the State Legislature when the sugar workers had similarly converged on Nagpur on December 10 last year. Today the workers were protesting the failure of both the Chief Minister and the Minister for co-operation to follow up on their assurances made to the co-ordination committee at the time.

Following a surplus season in 1995-96, the sugar industry is facing severe shortages in the current season.

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This, combined with low remunerative prices, has led to a precarious situation whereby several sugar factories are unlikely to open during the current season.