BELAGAVI
Farmers staged a protest in Belagavi on Friday, demanding that the district be declared drought-hit and included in the government’s drought list.
Led by the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association and Hasiru Sene, protesters formed a human chain at Rani Channamma Circle, displayed damaged crops and raised slogans against the government.
The farmers held a three-hour sit-in and demanded a complete waiver of agricultural loans, ₹50,000 compensation per acre, an end to excessive power cuts and free electricity for farming. They said poor rainfall had severely affected crops and left many farming families struggling to repay loans taken for cultivation.
Association state president Chunappa Pujari said drought conditions had spread across the state and urged the government to stop politicising farmers’ problems. He demanded that both the Central and State governments jointly provide compensation and loan relief. He also urged all 18 Belagavi district MLAs to fight for farmers’ interests and press the government for immediate action.
Farmer Kashibai Maradi said inadequate rainfall had damaged sugarcane, maize, soybean, green gram, black gram, cotton and onion crops. She said farmers who borrowed money to sow their fields were now facing severe financial difficulties. Pujari said sugarcane production had fallen sharply, while soybean yields had also declined, worsening the crisis for cultivators.
Assistant Commissioner Shravan Nayak reached the protest site and received a memorandum from the farmers. Hundreds of farmers participated, including leaders Prakash Naik, Kishan Nandi, Prem Chougula and Ravi Siddammanavar. The protesters said they would continue pressing for drought status and financial relief until the government responds to their demands. They urged authorities to act quickly before more farmers face deeper losses and debt.