Cane farmers firm on continuing stir till demands are met

SANGUEM: Sugarcane farmers in the State have been left in the lurch ever since the closure of Sanjivani sugar factory two years ago.  However, now there is a rift among them as the Shetkari Sanghatna under which they were placing up their demands before the State has recently turned into a mouthpiece of the government.

It may be recalled that the situation turned worse for the sugarcane farmers at the scheduled meeting of Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar with the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant a couple of months ago wherein Sawant instead of giving a patient hearing to Gaonkar over the possible road map prepared by the MLA to revive Sanjivani caused the meeting to end abruptly following allegations against the Sanguem legislator to have come for land dealings.

However, this led to the constitution of ‘Uus Utpadak Sangarsh Samiti’ at Sanguem under the chairmanship of Kurdi Wadem sarpanch Kushta Gaonkar.

Ever since its formation, the Samiti had a couple of meetings in Sanguem. At the last meeting held on December 20 at Wadem Sanguem, the Samiti resolved to serve a 10-day ultimatum to the government demanding a written assurance to their four demands failing which the Samiti threatened to sit on an indefinite agitation at Sanguem.

The demands comprised payment of compensation of Rs 3,000 per tonne for the standing crop till the time Sanjivani is made operational, payment of compensation by end of February, calculation of payment to be made on highest average of sugarcane supplied by individual sugarcane farmers during the last decade and immediate payment of harvesting charges of Rs 600 of the last season.

At the end of 2020, the government provided relief to the last demand made in the memorandum on payment of last year’s harvesting charges. Some even received the amount in their accounts the next day. The farmers in Sanguem are scheduled to get their cheques on January 5 at the hands of the Chief Minister. The other three demands however remain unfulfilled.

Meanwhile, the government has worked out the proposal for compensation of Rs 3,000 per tonne for standing crop in the first year, Rs 2,800 in the second year, Rs 2,600, Rs 2,400 and Rs 2,200 in the third, fourth and fifth year respectively. This proposal of the government though accepted by Shetkari Sanghatna is however not acceptable to most farmers who want a fixed compensation of Rs 3,600 per tonne till the time the Sanjivani is made operational which is the crux of the agitation.

The government has till date not worked out the modalities for payment of compensation for the standing crop. The farmers’ association however demands that the same be pegged at highest average of sugarcane supplied by individual farmers in the last decade.

The Chief Minister at a recent press conference in Sanguem had informed that the government has already finalised the compensation amount payable to the sugarcane farmers.

Executive committee member of Shetkari Sanghatna Francisco Mascarenhas, who supported every move by sugarcane farmers in Sanguem in the initial days, is now on the main committee of Sugarcane Farmers’ Facilitation Committee formed by the government. He claimed that the government decision is fair and fine.

Mascarenhas informed that the government under the Facilitation Committee which is headed by Adv Narendra Sawaikar is working out the payment modalities to the sugarcane farmers for the standing crop.

“This needs time and proper working needs to be done before finalising the payment of compensation to individual farmers,” claimed Mascarenhas.

The CM at a press briefing at Sanguem had claimed that it may take two-three years to put the Sanjivani in running mode and till then the government will continue to pay the farmers for the standing crop.

Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar urged the farmers to withdraw the agitation on the first day after assuring them that the issue could be resolved amicably after a meeting with the CM on January 5.

He informed that last year, the government paid Rs 6.30 crore to the sugarcane farmers before Chaturthi and another Rs 80 lakh to 54 farmers for standing crop as they could not harvest their crop in time to transport to Laila Factory. The balance amount of Rs 600 per tonne towards harvesting cost was released in December 2020.

Kavlekar said the Chief Minister will distribute cheques to the farmers at Kurdi Wadem.

Uus Utpadak Sangarsh Samiti vice chairperson Chandan Unandkar said the Chief Minister should meet the farmers at the agitation venue and solve their issues first.

The farmers will accept the cheques only after the issue is being resolved, claimed Unandkar.

Samiti chairperson Kushta Gaonkar made it clear that agitation will not be withdrawn until the government gives in writing that it accepts the farmers’ demands as cited in their December 23 memorandum.

Gaonkar said, “Over a couple of years none of their demands are resolved without an agitation. We have heard enough assurances from the government. This time we will not withdraw our agitation till the time our demands are met and till the government gives the same in writing.”

The ongoing agitation at Sanguem is duly supported by local MLA Prasad Gaonkar, who even spent the night with the farmers on the first day of the agitation.

Kushta Gaonkar informed that Goa initially had around 900 sugarcane farmers; the figure now has reduced to 800 accounting for production of 40,000 tonnes of sugarcane produce of which Sanguem taluka alone accounts for 25,000 tonnes.

“Most sugarcane farmers in Sanguem hail from the rehabilitation colonies of Selaulim Dam at Wadem and Valkini. The land allotted to the Selaulim evacuees is only suited for sugarcane production and this has made majority farmers at Wadem and Valkini opt for sugarcane plantation. Sanjivani is their lifeline,” claimed Kushta Gaonkar.

Leaders such as Vijai Sardesai, Sankalp Amonkar, Josephine Cardozo besides activist Tara Kerkar and erstwhile president of Shetkari Sanghatna Rajendra Dessai have also extended their support to the farmers.

The agitating farmers expect a concrete solution to their demands by January 5 as assured by Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, whom they trust considering his agricultural background and his feelings towards agriculturists.