The News Minute | April 3, 2015 | 10.15 am ISTA group of sugarcane farmers is protesting in the city in an attempt to urge the prime minister Narendra Modi, who is attending the national executive meet of the BJP, to withdraw the new Land Acquisition bill. The Karnataka Rajya Kabbu Belegarara Sangha, a body of around 5,000 sugarcane farmers from across the state, has demanded that the central government withdraw the land acquisition bill, which the central government enacted through an ordinance. Around 250 farmers from across the state came to the city in a bid to exert pressure on the prime minister who is attending the three-day national executive meeting of the BJP in the city.Coordinator of the sangha Bhagyaraj told The News Minute that the group was demanding the immediate withdrawal of the new lack acquisition bill as it would adversely affect farmers. He also demanded that the central government intervene in the ongoing stand-off between the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments over the Mekedatu dam. They also demanded that the government implement the Swaminathan report. Scientist M S Swaminathan chaired the National Commission on Farmers between December 2004 and October 2006 and submitted five reports. The final report recommended a holistic policy for farmers after carefully examining the case of farmer distress and the rising number of farmer suicides. Bhagyaraj also said that the central government should immediately release Rs 22,000 crore that was due to sugarcane growers. He said that the central government must also formulate a separate budget for farmers along the lines of the railway budget.