THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday assured sugarcane farmers that State-run Sanjivani sugar factory will not be shut down permanently. He has also promised that all the pending payments to the tune of around Rs 2 crore due to the sugarcane farmers will be cleared soon.
With the State government assuring resolution of their grievances, the sugarcane farmers have called off their ongoing strike. Many farmers had suffered heavy losses due to the sudden closure of operations of Goa’s lone sugarcane factory this year.
Six months ago, with the intention of managing the heavy losses sustained by the factory, the government had hinted at its permanent closure resulting in a farmers’ strike. Chief Minister has now disclosed the government is working on a proposal to transfer the ownership of the factory from the Department of Co-operation to the Department of Agriculture.
Speaking to the media after meeting the Chief Minister at his official residence at Altinho in Panaji, Rajendra Jeevaji Desai, president of “Akhil Gomantak Uss Utpadak Sanghatana” (AGUUS), 1,200-member-strong sugarcane farmers’ collective, said, “It was a productive meeting. Acting on our proposal, the government has assured us that the government will not close down the Sanjivani sugar factory under any condition. He has asked us to continue farming sugarcane and has given us his word that the government will never overlook the farmers. We are happy with his decision.”
The Chief Minister has also assured the farmers that their payments will be released soon. The pending payments include harvesting payment and also payment due for the sugarcane left behind on plots in the previous season due to the closure of factory operations.
