SANGUEM
The five-day-long agitation by sugarcane cultivators in Sanguem ended on a sweet note on Wednesday, after the State government is reported to have accepted all four demands of the protesting farmers.
The Uus Utpadak Sangarsh Samiti, which had spearheaded the agitation, said the indefinite agitation had been called off after its committee was invited to a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in Panaji.
The Samiti stated that the government also agreed to give a written assurance to accept the demands of the sugarcane farmers within the next two days.
On receiving news from the Samiti’s committee, hundreds of agitating farmers broke into jubilation and burst firecrackers to celebrate their victory. The Samiti is likely to have a victory procession in Sanguem town on Thursday.
The State government had on Tuesday earlier accepted three of their four demands and had invited the Samiti’s committee members for talks in Panaji on Wednesday to resolve the fourth demand.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant interacted with the Samiti’s committee members in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Babu Kavlekar, Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar, former minister and BJP leader Ramesh Tawadkar and former MP and Chairman of the Sugarcane Farmers Facilitation Committee Narendra Sawaikar.
During the meeting, the State government made minor changes to the fourth demand of the sugarcane farmers.
While the agitating farmers had been demanding compensation based on the highest average of sugarcane supplied by an individual farmer to the Sanjivani Sugar Factory during the last 10 years, the government reduced the term to eight years and it was accepted by the farmers after deliberations.
The other demands proposed by the Samiti and accepted by the government consisted of compensation at the rate of Rs 3,600 per tonne, immediate payment of harvesting charges of Rs 600 per tonne for last year’s production and all payments to be made to farmers account by February every year, till the resumption of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory.
Others present at the meeting included
Uus Utpadak Sangarsh Samiti Chairman Kushta Gaonkar informed that during the discussion, the government had taken the responsibility to harvest and transport sugarcane during the current and next year.
Harvesting of the present crop will be done by February end, said the Samiti members.
The Samiti’s committee members later thanked Sawant, Kavlekar and other political leaders for resolving their demands.
They also expressed their gratitude to all sugarcane farmers for remaining united during the five days of their agitation and to other activists, leaders and organisations for having supported their agitation.
