NASHIK, June 24: The four-day-old indefinite hunger strike of local Shetkari Sanghatana leader Trimbak Abaji Chavanke to demand the state government's intervention in the onion glut, was withdrawn last night, afer local Shiv Sena MLA Kalyanrao Patil promised to organise a meeting of the agitators with Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on June 25.

The sanghatana is demanding a support price of Rs 300 per qunital. Chavanke had begun his fast at the Lasalgaon agriculture produce marketing committee, which the largest onion marketyard in the country, last Friday.

The sanghatana had also urged union farmers to hit ministers with onions, as a form of protest. The appeal had resulted in some farmers and sanghatana activists hitting Social Welfare Minsiter Babanrao Gholap and Minsiter of State for Rural Development Tukaram Dighole with onions at Yeola on Sunday.

Fifteen persons were arrested following the protest.A bumper cropand a series of agitations have led to the glut, with prices dropping from Rs 300 per quintal to less than Rs 200 per quintal.

The truckers strike, Mathadi workers stir and traders boycott contributed to the glut. The recent agitation by traders from June 8 to 18 was to oppose the increase in Mathadi levy from 17 to 25 per cent.The stir was withdrawn when the levy was reduced to 22 percent.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.