PONDA: With regard to the demand made by Sanjivani sugarcane farmers made on Sunday at the general body meeting that Adv Narendra Sawaikar should be removed from the Facilitation Committee since he is a BJP member and not a working farmer, Advocate Sawaikar has clarified that he worked honestly to protect the interest of farmers. He said he worked for introducing five years compensation scheme to farmers after closure of the Sanjivani sugar factory and that crores of rupees were provided as compensation to farmers for the past three years.
Sawaikar said government had proposed an ethanol project under a Central government scheme and Sanjivani Sugar Factory is eligible to obtain a loan to the tune of Rs 54.56 crore on PPP mode.
The tender has been floated for an ethanol plant and two agencies have been shortlisted, he claimed. Now it is all hands of PPP department of government. Only government and PPP Department can tell the farmers when the ethanol plant would start.
Sawaikar admitted that uncertainty about ethanol plant among farmers had hit production of sugar cane as farmers don ‘t know when it is going to start. He said effort were made by him and the fallow land of the sugar factory had been cultivated for vegetable production which had earned money for sugarcane factory and for that two administrator were appointed for the first time by the agriculture department . He said ethanol plant is feasible as 20 percent ethanol can be added to petrol which can be used as fuel for vehicles.
