Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana Prepones Date of Protest on Pune-Bengaluru Highway to Nov 23

By: Pune Pulse

November 21, 2023

Pune: The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana’s plan to block the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway-48 has been preponed from November 26 to November 23.

As per information, thousands of farmers who are supporting the group will march on the national highway that goes through the city on Thursday. The Shiroli bridge, which links Kolhapur and Sangli districts with other important roads, is the venue for the farmers’ planned chakka jam.

Raju Shetti, the farmer’s organization’s president, declared that the report drafted by the committee chaired by the Kolhapur district collector was unacceptable.

He further stated that Hasan Mushrif, the guardian minister, put pressure on the collector to state in the report that the sugar mills are not responsible for any payments. Nevertheless, the mills’ bank accounts and statistics present an entirely different picture. All political parties’ sugar mills are now under the guardianship of the guardian minister. The farmers are resisting Mushrif and the Congress MLC’s attempts to weaken their resolve.

For the sugar cane that was crushed during the previous season, Shetti is requesting Rs 400 per tonne. According to the Kolhapur district collector’s report, which was turned in to Mushrif on Sunday, the mills’ books and accounts demonstrate that the farmers have already received a fair price for their produce, and the mills are not obligated to pay anything more.

In the meantime, it is anticipated that traffic along the Pune-Bengaluru NH-48 will be significantly impacted due to Shetti’s protest. Shetti has stated that there will be no end date to the national highway closure.

To make room on the highway for commuters, the police may use force. On the other hand, word has it that the police administration will inform Mushrif of the expected circumstances and ask that action be taken to prevent the protest from happening.

Shreyas Vange