Senior citizens and agriculturists Pascoal Vaz and Prakash Gauns Dessai while speaking to the media.
Two agriculturists have claimed that while the State government is determined to set up the IIT project on agriculture land in Sanguem taluka, it has forgotten about the Sanjivani sugar factory, the lifeline for sugarcane farmers in the State.
Pascoal Vaz, a farmer from Cacora who has been into sugarcane cultivation for 60 years, told reporters that hundreds of farmers from all over Goa happily depended on the cultivation of sugarcane.
“The setting up of the Sanjivani sugar factory with the initiative of former chief minister late Bahusaheb Bandodkar gave the desired boost for further development of sugarcane production in the State,” said Vaz.
“Sugarcane production gave enjoyment opportunities to a large number of people, but with the virtual closure of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory, the future of sugarcane cultivators in the State is uncertain.”
“Instead of working out plans to revive the Sanjivani sugar factory, the government is planning to impose the IIT on farmlands by promising employment opportunities to locals.”
“The government should, instead, revive the Sanjivani sugar factory, which has been providing employment to hundreds of families, who are on the verge of losing gainful employment and revenue.”
Another farmer, Prakash Gauns Dessai from Xeldem, also asserted the need to improve the standard of agricultural activities in Goa rather than promoting the culture of handing over vast tracts of farmlands to the agencies associated with the central government.
“A project like IIT will hardly be of any benefit to Goans. Once the land is allotted to the project, Goans will have no say on the project. Even the ministers have no say on the project and takes place inside the project,” claimed Dessai.
“The government even failed to prepare a feasibility report on the IIT project at Sanguem. The project had been rejected by the people of Canacona and Melauli and is now being opposed by farmers from Sanguem.”
“A project which hardly has any benefits for the locals should not be dumped on the people. There are vast tracts of land elsewhere in the State which are not feasible for agricultural plantation and the government should set up the IIT project on those lands,” added Dessai.
