M.R. Patil books flights for 34 sugarcane farmers

Hubballi Kundagol MLA M.R. Patil has booked flight tickets at his own expense for 34 sugarcane farmers to travel to Delhi for discussions on their demands, including a support price for sugarcane. The farmers had staged a major protest in Hubballi and laid siege to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's residence, demanding a fair price for their produce and action to address their concerns. During the protest, MLA M.R. Patil and Hubballi Central MLA Mahesh Tenginkai intervened and appealed to the farmers to withdraw their agitation. The farmers had expressed their inability to bear the cost of travelling to Delhi for discussions with the concerned authorities. Patil then promised to arrange flight tickets for those willing to participate in the meeting. He has now fulfilled that promise by booking tickets for 34 farmers. Patil said the delegation would fly from Belagavi on Monday morning. He added that both he and Mahesh Tenginkai would accompany the farmers to Delhi. Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi and the state's Sugar Minister were also expected to participate in the discussions, he said. The MLA also stated that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi supported the farmers and considered their demands valid. According to Patil, a decision would be taken after examining all aspects of the issue. The proposed meeting is expected to focus on the farmers' demand for a better support price for sugarcane and other related concerns. The farmers are hoping that the discussions in Delhi will lead to concrete action to address their grievances.