No sign of revival of sugar factory despite govt assurances
A farmer, Josinho D’Costa, at his sugarcane farm in Molcornem.
Photo Credits: The Goan
SANGUEM
Amid a lack of clarity over the Sanjivani Sugar Factory, sugarcane farmers in and around Sanguem taluka stare at an uncertain future as the five-year period of compensation ends this year.
Citing continuous losses and outdated machinery at the Sanjivani Sugar Factory, the government shut down the factory in 2019. The government had, however, assured sugarcane farmers that the factory would restart either improvised machinery or an alternate ethanol plant would be set up at the factory to resolve the issue of sugarcane farmers.
Incidentally at the time of the closure of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory, the government had assured payment of compensation to the farmers for a period of five years, ranging from Rs 3,000 per tonne in the first year, Rs 2,800 in the second year and Rs 2,600, Rs 2,400 and Rs 2,200 per tonne for the remaining term of three years.
While there is no sign of Sanjivani Sugar Factory making a comeback and with the five-year term of compensation getting over this year, sugarcane farmers are worried and left to ponder over uncertainty the next year.
Harshad Prabhudessai, a prominent farmer from Sanguem, has appealed to the government to take immediate steps to reopen the Sanjivani Sugar Factory as the lives of the sugarcane farmers and their families are at stake.
“If the government is not in a position to restart the Sanjivani Sugar Factory, it should lease the factory to private parties who have shown interest in taking over the Sanjivani Sugar Factory and at the same time also pay annual rent to the Government,” suggested Prabhudessai.
With time is running out, sugarcane farmers who continued to grow sugarcane even during the closure of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory have pleaded with the government to come out with a clear-cut decision on the Sanjivani Sugarcane Factory.
Another farmer, Francisco Mascarenhas, appealed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to give some time to the farmers to discuss the long-pending issue of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory.
“The government should come clear on the future of Sanjivani Sugar Factory, else farmers would be made to face the same fate as that of mining truck owners in the region,” said Mascarenhas.
Echoing similar sentiments, Josinho D’Costa from Molcornem informed ever since the government closed the Sanjivani Sugar Factory in 2019, many farmers switched to horticulture production.
He requested the government to come out with a clear decision on the reopening of Sanjivani Sugar Factory as it would be difficult for farmers to switch to other cultivations at the last minute.
