WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024
MGP Marcaim MLA Sudin Dhavalikar on Wednesday hailed the State cabinet’s decision not to shut the Sanjivani Sugar factory and to transfer it to the Agriculture Department from the Cooperative Department.
He also demanded that the authorities immediately start the preparation for the next crushing season as well as refurnishing the entire sugar factory.
He reiterated that there should be a complete revival of the factory and that the farmers should be encouraged to increase their existing production output by one lakh tonne units every year. Reflecting upon past decisions, the former Deputy Speaker criticised the government for unnecessarily spending a total of Rs 9.5 crores for the transportation of sugarcane to Laila Factory in Khanapur, Belgaum in the last crushing season.
“Almost Rs 4 crore extra was wasted on this transportation and this money should be recovered from those responsible for the decision. This was done without any proper government study by the government,” Sudin added, while recalling that he had opposed the decision.
He further pointed out that he had proposed that instead, the government should have at that time, spent Rs 5 crore on maintenance work on the factory. He also claimed that there are around 1,000 tonnes of sugarcane lying in fields without harvesting. Speaking about future measures, he appealed that a resource person be appointed as a the in-charge of the factory’s administration and recommended the name of former South Goa MP, Adv Narendra Sawaikar for the same.
He explained his reasoning by highlighting Sawaikar’s vast experience in the agricultural sector. “The appointment of a quality resource person as the administration in-charge, better engineers and staff, Sanjivani could run in profit in the future,” Sudin added.
He further said it was wrong on the part of ‘some minister’, to call it a white elephant as the ‘money spent on Sanjivani is actually money spent for the development of 5000-odd farmers, who depend on the factory’. However, he insisted that the government should run the factory operations through the funds obtained from the State or the Central government.
He strongly opposed the handover of the factory to a private party or for it to be run on a Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Model.
He remembered that in the past during his tenure as a minister, the farmers had appealed that there should be no sale of the land of the factory or for it to be allowed to run privately or on a PPP model.
Sudin further added that Sanjivani vast land that covers 16 lakh square metres, which could be used by the factory for promoting the ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) police of Prime Minister Narendra ModiHe proposed that around 150 cow sheds with 20 cows or buffaloes in each shed, should be constructed and that persons who have passed their SSC examinations, should be deputed to look after the same, in a bid to promote employment as well. He also suggested that the subsequent milk production can then be supplied to Goa Dairy, whilst pointing out how this could solve yet another problem given that that Goa faces shortage of 2.5 lakh litre of milk per day.
