Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, former CM Jagadish Shettar seek time from sugarcane farmers of Karnataka at late night meeting in Hubballi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar met with sugarcane farmers in Hubballi late at night in an effort to address their demands. The meeting, which lasted until 3 a.m., took place in the Government Guest House and focused on the farmers' request for a higher remunerative price for sugarcane, among other issues.

The protest by sugarcane farmers had resumed on October 12 after prior discussions with Joshi failed to resolve the impasse. The farmers, who had taken part in a mock funeral procession of Joshi during the "Hubballi Chalo" padayatra in Belagavi on October 16, were still demanding fair share in sugar and ethanol revenues at the time of the meeting.

Joshi assured the farmers that the Centre would consider their demands positively and placed them before a committee expected to begin functioning in three days. The farmers agreed to consult the wider farming community before deciding on their next course of action.