Team Herald
PANJIM: After closing it down for the current season, the Goa government has decided to demolish the State’s sole Sanjivani Sahakari Sugar Factory to make away for construction of the new Rs 100 crore full-fledged unit, which, along with producing sugar, will focus on ethanol production, from next year.
Minister for Cooperation Govind Guade is in touch with institutions like Pune-based Vasantdada Sugar Institute and Kanpur-based National Sugar Institute along with some international units, dealing in ethanol production.
Addressing media persons on Thursday, Gaude said that the new industry will be on a public-private partnership model. He further assured that it will be operational at least 364 days a year as against Sanjivani factory, which was working for hardly 75-78 days a year
“We have already taken steps in direction to have a new full-fledged industry on PPP model. The existing factory will be demolished. The estimated cost the project is around Rs 100 crore,” said the Minister, while announcing that the new unit will be put in operation by the next crushing season in November 2020.
Gaude said to ensure that the industry runs all round the year, along with sugar production, the focus will be on ethanol production, for which the raw material required is sugarcane and maze.
The Minister added that the consultant has been appointed, who will submit the report within the next fortnight.
Speaking about the closure of the existing industry, Gaude explained that government needed Rs 17.85 crore to start the factory this season, in addition to pumping in around Rs six crore every year towards its renovation. He said that though the unit has been shut permanently, Goan sugarcane produce will be supplied to a sugar factory in Karnataka, at the rate, which the Sanjivani Sugar Factory used to offer.
Gaude added that two companies have already bid for purchasing the sugarcane. “From November 18, we will start the process of taking applications from farmers to buy their sugarcane, which will be harvested between November 20 and 25,” he said.
The Minister asked the sugarcane farmers not panic as the government will buy all their produce at a rate similar to what was paid to them last season. He has also urged everyone, not to instigate the farmers and politicize the issue.
