Team Herald
MARGAO: The State government is very serious in initiating the process to revive the Sanjivani sugarcane factory with central fund of Rs 58 crore, said Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday after holding a meeting with the sugarcane farmers at Margao.
Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister said, “the support price for sugarcane cultivation will be given to the farmers as per the notification issued earlier”.
However, the Sugarcane Cultivation Sangrash Committee said no concrete assurance with regard to reviving the sugarcane factory was given, and said only the notification has been explained to them.
“The CM and Deputy CM have just explained the notification, nothing concrete has been assured. They even told us that government cannot do more beyond the rates fixed”, said Kusta Gaonkar, President of the Sugarcane Cultivation Sangarsh Committee.
He said farmers were expecting some sought of extra help from the government but not a single demand of theirs was heard. “If everything was finalised by the government why were we called for the meeting? This government is creating confusion amongst the farmers by applying a divide and rule policy. Farmers are not at all satisfied with the notification and the support price assured by the government”, he said.
Another sugarcane farmer who attended the meeting said this policy of the government will surely lead to an end of sugarcane farming activities in Goa. “The rates which the government declared to give are not matching with the expenses of farming. Shockingly, we the sugarcane farmers are still facing a shortage of water supply for the cultivation, despite making several requests”, he claimed.
He further said not a single demand of the farmers has been fulfilled by the government with regard to sugarcane cultivation.
The meeting which was held at the South District Collector was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Babu Kavlekar and Adv. Narendra Sawaikar.
