Kittur Rani Channamma University (KRCU) postponed all the examinations scheduled on October 14, due to the ongoing protest by sugarcane farmers in multiple places in Belagavi district of Karnataka.

Students will be intimated the new date, officials informed.

Protest by farmers

On October 13, sugarcane growers blocked roads at various places in Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, and Haveri districts demanding a higher price for sugarcane and a revision of the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar.

The protests followed failure of talks between farmers’ representatives and Union Ministers in New Delhi on Monday (October 12). The meeting failed to yield an immediate solution. The growers are seeking a remunerative price for sugarcane that covers production costs, an increase in the MSP of sugar and other measures to protect their interests.

The road blockages on national highways were held at Yarikoppa Cross and Tegur near Dharwad, Gabbur Cross, and Noolvi Cross near Hubballi, Bankapur in Haveri district, and Mulagund Cross, Halligudi Cross, and Hitnal Toll in Gadag district.

Although the call was for blocking the highways from dawn to dusk, most of the the blockades were cleared by afternoon, but extended beyond Sunset at a few places.

The road blockage near Yarikoppa Cross on Pune-Bengaluru national highway began as early as 9 a.m. and continued till late in the evening. Several farmer leaders reached Yarikoppa protest venue in the evening and addressed the protestors. Subsequently, the road blockade continued beyond 7 p.m.

As a precautionary measure, the police had deployed personnel at the various spot where roads were blocked. Hubballi-Dharwad traffic police diverted vehicles to minimise disruption. Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase and Superintendent of Police of Dharwad district Gunjan Arya visited the protest venues to take stock of the situation.