PONDA: Hours after the sugarcane farmers at Sanjivani Sugar Factory, Dharbandora threatened to protest the announcement to close operations, the government said there was no decision on closure of the sugar factory.
In a press release through the Department of Information and Publicity, the government said it has not taken any decision to close the Sanjivani Sakhar Karkhana.
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“The Administrator has informed that the meeting was conducted today with farmers at factory for exploring the various options given by the farmers in respect of the said factory,” the statement clarified.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Sugarcane farmers in the State were shocked when the Administrator of Sanjivani sugar factory, Dr Tarik Thomas stated that the factory will not start operations in future.
The development stunned around 1500 farmers, who were worried as to how they will survive if the factory is shut since they have been earning their livelihood for past 48 years.
Addressing media persons, president of sugarcane farmers Rajendra Desai said the administrator informed them on Wednesday that the factory has already suffered an accumulated loss of Rs 168 crore and henceforth will not start operations in future.
The sugarcane farmers demanded that government give them in writing about the factory closure. In case of closure, the farmers demanded that they be paid compensation for 14 years as per the proposal submitted to the government last year.
The farmers threatened to hit the roads if their demands are not met within 15 days and demanded that Sanjivani immediately clear their pending bills of sugarcane supplied to Karnataka-based factory.
“We had earlier asked the government to take us into confidence before taking any decision. We want the government to sit face to face and decide,” Desai demanded and added that the farmers felt cheated.
He said, “Last year, the government including the Chief Minister, Agriculture Minister and Co-operation Minister had asked us to cultivate as much of sugarcane and that it would provide irrigation facility and set up new machinery. But today the government has cheated us. We are in trouble now, as many of us have borrowed loans.”
Dessai said on Wednesday they were invited for the meeting by the Administrator, who informed them that the factory suffered a loss of Rs 168 crore and henceforth government has decided not to start crushing season anymore and that it would buy the standing crop of cane cultivated by them for the next season.
“On one hand the government says it will double our income, while on the other hand, it is doing injustice by closing the factory on which our livelihood depends,” he complained.
Many farmers expressed their surprise over the Rs 22 crore loss incurred by the factory for 2018-19 and that no general body was called by RCS to discuss the issue.
They said, “Farmers are not responsible for the losses to the factory as government had appointed officials lacking knowledge on Sanjivani administration. There are several government corporations running into losses in Goa then why decide on closing Sanjivani only.”
Desai said, “Last year we had submitted a written proposal to the government at a meeting held in Sanjivani which was attended by Chief Minister, Cooperation Minister and Agriculture Minister that in case factory is closed then the government should compensate the farmers for the next 14 years. We are dependent on sugarcane for past 48 years and we have no other source of income. Many of us cultivated cane by borrowing loans and we don’t know what to do. The government should clear its policy in writing .They are just giving us oral promises and cheating us.”
“The farmers will stage an agitation if government does not inform them in a written statement about the decision to close the factory within 15 days. Earlier, we had asked the government that it should inform us about the factory closure three years in advance so that we can find other options,” he added.
