SANGUEM
Accusing the State government of failing on its assurances, sugarcane farmers said they were informed that the Sanjivani sugar factory would be temporarily closed to pave way for a new factory.
“However, there has been nothing concrete from the government but instead, we only hear of new ideas with each passing day and no talks on revival of the Sanjivani sugar factory,” complained Prashant Gauns Dessai, a member of Sugarcane Utpadak Association while speaking to the media at Sanguem.
Speaking further, Dessai claimed that the Farmers Facilitation Committee formed by the government last year to assist the farmers in addressing and resolving their grievances has failed, as there has been no response from this committee in favour of the farmers till date.
“Compensation which was assured by the government to be paid to farmers for a period of five years has not come in as yet and the government is only delaying the matter of payment by each passing day.”
Dessai also claimed that the land owned and possessed by Sanjivani sugar factory is being misappropriated and is in the process of being transferred to some other agencies and departments, without taking the sugarcane farmers into confidence.
“While on the one hand, the government has been appealing to people to promote agricultural plantation, farmers involved in sugarcane plantation for several decades have been left in the lurch and face a bleak future.”
Another farmer, Chanda Velip, said the government had proposed of setting up an ethanol plant.
“However, there has been nothing concrete on this front. If the government is not in a position to run the factory, it should be handed over to the farmers,” insisted Velip.
