Farmers led by honorary president of Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha Chamaras Malipatil staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Raichur on Tuesday.

This forced the authorities to close the main gate for a while.

The farmers demanded that the pending dues for jowar procurement at centres set up by the State government be released immediately.

The farmers sold jowar at procurement centres three months ago. However, the amount for purchasing jowar hasn’t been released yet. Hence, farmers are finding it difficult to meet the expenditure on purchasing sowing seeds and fertiliser for the kharif season, he said.

Mr. Malipatil said that the district is facing a shortage in fertiliser and demanded that the State government solve this problem immediately by supplying adequate fertiliser.

He strongly opposed the action by fertiliser vendors to link other products while farmers purchase fertiliser and said that the government should take action to stop such action.

Farmers further urged the State government to clear hurdles and desilt sub-canals of Tungabadhra Left Branch Canals in Manvi, Sirwar, Raichur and Sindhanur taluks and release water on a Vaarabandi basis.

Later, they submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through the district administration.

Sugurayya Math, Dodda Basanagouda Ballatagi, Prabhakar Patil, Mallanna Dinni, Basavaraj Malipatil, Yankappa and others were present.