SANGUEM: While the issue of restarting that Sanjivani Sugar Factory is on the verge of getting permanently solved with the Government handing over the affairs of the factory to the Agriculture Department, a rift among the sugarcane cultivators over the payment of compensation towards the standing crop, till the factory restarts, is a burning farmer’s issue in this region.
While those running the administration and have been in the front of sugarcane cultivation for the last many decades, have accepted the terms set by the Government for payment of compensation to the standing crop; a group of farmers from Sanguem, who function under the banner of ‘Uus Utpadak Saunstha’, are critical of the terms of compensation set by the government and are in the process of planning an agitation in front of the office of the Deputy Collector at Sanguem from January 2, 2021.
Prominent sugarcane cultivator from Sanguem, Francisco Mascarenhas (Ayetin) informed that the modalities worked by the government for payment of compensation to the farmers for standing crop due to the temporary closure of Sanjivani Sugar Factory to be fair and fine and is acceptable to majority of farmers.
Mascarenhas informed that around 317 farmers from Sanguem have given their consent to the proposal forwarded by the government.
Mascarenhas, who is an Executive Committee member of Shetkari Sanghatna and also chairman of VKSS Society Kurdi Sanguem informed that the government has assured compensation of Rs 3,000, Rs 2,800, Rs 2,600, Rs 2,400 and Rs 2,200 per tonne for the standing crop in the next five years.
The compensation to be paid to the farmers will be calculated on the basis of an average of sugarcane supplied by the farmers to the Sanjivani Sugar Factory over the last couple of years.
Mascarenhas further informed that the Government is also in the preparation of an agreement to be signed between the farmers and the Government and that the same is expected to be ready for signing in the next few days.
Meanwhile at a press conference held at Sanguem on Sunday, December 27, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed the fixation of the aforementioned rates for payment to the farmers towards the standing crop.
Sawant announced that till the time the working framework of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory is put in place, the government will continue payment to the farmers for the standing crop.
Sawant also informed that though the factory is presently looked after by the Department of Agriculture, it will not be feasible for the government to run the factory and thus, the contract to run the factory will be outsourced.
“The payment for the standing crop worked out by the government is acceptable to majority farmers but there are others who just want to politicise the issue for personal gains out of nothing,” said Sawant, while adding that the factory will be made operational in the next two to three years time as everything is slowly falling in place.
Meanwhile, the ‘Uus Utpadak Sanghatna’ formed in Sanguem under the leadership of Sarpanch of Kurdi Wadem village panchayat, Kushta Gaonkar, are not happy over the modalities worked out by the government and have demanded a minimum compensation of Rs 3,600 per ton for the standing crop.
A core committee member of ‘Uus Utpadak Saunstha’, Chandan Unandlar informed that the amount of Rs 3,000 as suggested by the government is not considerable and needs to be pegged at Rs 3,600 per tonne.
“Moreover, the government needs to put in writing the terms and conditions of settlement and payment of compensation for the standing crop till the time the Sanjivani Sugar Factory is made operational,” Unandlar added.
The committee has already submitted a memorandum to the Government consequent to its meeting held on December 20 at Wadem Sanguem.
Unandkar informed that in the event of the government failing to consider its demands by end of December, then the Committee along with its associate members shall stage a dharna in front of the Sanguem Deputy Collector’s office from January 2, 2021.
