A sugarcane farmers’ protest temporarily shut the toll plaza near K.N. Hundi in Nanjangud on the Mysuru–Ooty National Highway on Sunday, causing traffic congestion as organisers demanded a higher crop price, complete farm-loan waivers and drought compensation.
According to a report by Prajavani – Mysuru, office-bearers of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and members of several organisations gathered at the toll plaza and stopped toll collection and vehicle movement for more than half an hour. Protesters raised slogans against the Union and Karnataka governments while extending support to farmers involved in the Gurlaapur agitation in Belagavi.
The protesters demanded that sugarcane be priced at ₹5,500 per tonne. They also called for the implementation of the recommendations of the Dr M.S. Swaminathan Commission, a complete waiver of farmers’ loans and drought relief of ₹50,000 per acre in Karnataka, citing drought conditions in the state.
State working president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Vidyasagar, said sugarcane growers were being forced to protest because they were not receiving what the organisation considers a scientific price for their produce. He also referred to earlier political commitments concerning implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and the doubling of farmers’ income by 2024.
Vidyasagar further claimed that sugarcane farmers contribute ₹50,000 crore annually in excise taxes and questioned why large corporate loans could be waived while relief for farmers’ loans remained pending. These figures and comparisons were presented as part of the protesters’ demands and were not independently assessed in the report.
District president Satish Rao said the protest had received support from the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Janasangrama Parishat, Kannada organisations and office-bearers of the Karnataka Rashtra Samithi. He warned that wider protests would be organised if the Union and state governments did not respond to the demands.
The temporary closure had an immediate impact on highway users. The report said vehicles accumulated on the national highway during the blockade, leaving motorists facing delays near the toll plaza. The incident demonstrates how a short protest at a toll facility can quickly affect movement on a highway connecting Mysuru with Ooty and surrounding areas.
The protest was attended by state vice-president Immavu Raghu, taluk president Mahadevanayaka and representatives of participating organisations, including Nagarle Vijayakumar, Mallahalli Narayana, H.R. Bangaraswamy, Alagoodu Mahadevu, Ramakrishna, Shwetha, Savitha, Siddaramegowda, Rajakumar, Ahaliyananju, Devanayaka, Doddegowda, Shivanna, Varadaraju, Jayalakshmi, Ravichandra and Jagadeesh. The report did not specify any immediate government response or further administrative action following the blockade.
