The blockade, launched by sugar cane farmers demanding a higher cane price, was lifted after farmers’ organisations accepted a price proposal from millers
Kolhapur : The 60-hour blockade of Pune-Bengaluru national highway ended around 1am on Friday, triggering a rush of passengers heading back to their native places after being forced to postpone their Diwali travel plans. The blockade, launched by sugar cane farmers demanding a higher cane price, was lifted after farmers’ organisations accepted a price proposal from millers.
We also arranged food for truck drivers after learning that some vendors were exploiting the situation by charging higher prices,” he said. To manage the surge, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation ( MSRTC ) deployed hundreds of additional buses to and from cities like Pune and Mumbai. The protest had brought traffic on the Satara-Kolhapur stretch of the national highway to a standstill and sparked complaints that private transport operators were charging exorbitant fares. Shetti apologised for the inconvenience caused to commuters but defended the decision to block the highway While announcing the withdrawal of the agitation. “We have been protesting in one form or another for the past month. We felt our voice would not be heard without a national highway blockade.