Team Herald
SANGUEM: With the government yet to come clear on Sanjivani sugar factory’s future, Sugarcane cultivators from Sanguem region on Sunday formed a committee under the banner of Sanjivani Bachao Samiti.
The committee was formally announced at a press conference held at Sanguem which was addressed by its president Bostiao Simoes, treasurer Nemu Madkaikar and secretary Prashant Gawas Dessai in the presence of members Chanda Velip and Dayanand Phaldessai.
Simoes said, “Till the government does not permanently resolve the issue of putting into operation the Sanjivani factory, the committee will hold meetings with the sugarcane cultivators all over Goa to make them aware of the ground realities plaguing the factory.”
“Why has the Agriculture Minister not come out in open in favour of sugarcane cultivators if the State Government has really handed over the factory to the Agriculture Department,” he asked.
Simoes informed that the committee has sent a memorandum to the government including the Prime Minister’s Office to inform the cultivators a specific date as to when the crushing season for the year 2020-2021 will commence at Sanjivani.
The committee in its memorandum has also called on the government to pay the balance amount towards the crop supplied in the last season at the earliest while also requesting to chalk out modalities for the payment of compensation to cultivators who could not harvest their crop in the last season.
The committee vowed to put the factory into profitability within two years if the government takes the cultivators into confidence in the running of factory.
Prashant Gawas Dessai brought to fore the technicalities which led to continuous losses at Sanjivani over the years.
Dessai claimed that as per the report prepared by experts in the field, the factory over the years was operated with raw water directly procured from wells. In fact, the factory needs to utilise filtered water to get better grade in the sugar produced at the factory. While sugar produced at Sanjivani is classified in the category of Grade 8 to 8.5 as against from neighbouring State which is classified as Grade 11. The use of filtered water and little mechanical changes in the belt presently used for crushing at Sanjivani could bring in the desired changes in the production of high grade sugar.
Nemu Madkaikar urged the government to study the feasibility reports submitted by Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar in making the factory operational by spending Rs 3 crore.
Ironically, instead of assuring Gaonkar of looking into the reports submitted by him which were prepared by technicians from reputed factories in operation in Maharashtra, the government came with serious allegations against Sanguem MLA which is hard to digest, claimed Madkaikar.