TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The meeting held between sugarcane farmers and the government remained inconclusive, as Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant failed to give a clear stand on the future of the State’s sole sugar factory -- Sanjivani.
The meeting was called on Friday at the backdrop of sugarcane farmers threatening to go on indefinite strike from September 29 if the government failed to provide a written assurance on their three pending demands -- future of sugar factory, Rs 600 per ton assured price to harvested crop and compensation towards the standing crop destroyed and government promised to support, before September 25.
Sawant chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture Chandrakant Kavlekar.
Addressing the media persons post meeting, the Chief Minister said that farmers have put across their demands which the government is looking into.
“We will settle all their claims accordingly,” he said.
“However, we have not taken any decision with regards to the sugar factory. The factory is currently shut and in the present condition it is not feasible to run it. It is running under losses,” Sawant said.
Earlier, Kavlekar informed that the meeting was fruitful, with the Chief Minister and farmers agreeing to explore options to either continue with cultivation of sugarcane or to opt for alternative crop, in future, if the factory does not resume operations.
“We have already settled their few claims with regards to assured price. As far as the standing crop is there, the same will be also taken care of,” Deputy CM said.
The farmers' leader Rajendra Desai said, “Our first demand is that the government gives us instructions in writing about the future of sugar factory. Whether it would operate crushing season or close it. The government has said that they are yet to take the decision. And it is known fact that the factory is running under losses.”
He said that we have informed the Chief Minister that a private party has shown interest in running the factory for two months; but the government is yet to take a call on it.
“Chief Minister has assured to settle our claims,” Desai said.
