Bengaluru: (The Hindu): Members of the BJP staged a ‘dharna’ in the Legislative Assembly as soon as the House met on the first day in Belagavi on Monday over the issue of non-payment of dues to sugarcane growers by the State Government.

The issue of pending canes growers dues also created pandemonium in the Legislative Council in the morning.

A 10-day Monsoon Session of the State legislature commenced here. The BJP members demanded the Government to hold the session in Belagavi for 20-days by cancelling the 10-day session in the state capital.

BJP members demanded payments of Rs. 960 crore due to cane growers by the Government of previous years and over Rs. 3,000 crore of last year. They shouted slogans against the Government and said that the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has no moral right to continue in office. They demanded the Government to hold the session only after clearing pending dues of cane growers.

The BJP members withdrew the ‘dharna’ after Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa allowed discussing the issue. Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar, who sought to move an adjournment motion on the issue of pending dues of cane growers, alleged that the Government immediately take steps to clear the dues. Several farmers had committed suicides owing to the anti-farmer policy pursued by the Governemt, he alleged.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the Government had taken several pro-farmer schemes and it was ready to debate on the issue. “We are not running away from the issue. We are ready to debate the issue at length. We will provide reply to all issues’’ the Chief Minister said.

Photo credit: The Hindu