Belagavi: The crisis in the sugarcane sector in the state continues to worsen with many hapless farmers keen to end their lives rather than suffer in misery. After farmer Shankar Matolli died in Belagavi recently a few days after he sought mercy killing, several other farmer families from Khanapur have sought permission from Belagavi Deputy Commissioner S. Ziyaulla for mercy killing. Soubhagya Laxmi Sugar Factory in Belagavi, owned by Public Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has not settled the pending bills of farmers from Khanapur who are now seeking mercy killing.
The farmers who on Monday submitted letters to the DC for mercy killing are, Ramesh Akki, Satappa Deshnur, Pundlik Bagukar and Pundlik Itagi. The pending bills of a large number of farmers, according to sources, have not been settled by the minister's factory in the last few years. The five farmers from Khanapur are yet to get their bills worth Rs 10 lakh which are pending since 2014, settled. Several of them have not even paid the money which they spent on transport and cutting of sugarcane.
The minister has not bothered to take the issue seriously even though dharnas were staged by farmers in front of the DC office on several occasions in recent times. Left with no other choice, the farmers met the DC and expressed their desire to end their lives. The crisis-hit farmers highlighted the plight of the family of Matolli who did not even have money to pay for his medical expenses and died a miserable death in a government hospital. They urged the DC to prevent other farmers from suffering a similar fate.
