Team Herald
SANGUEM: The sugarcane cultivators from Sanguem and other regions under the banner of Goa Farmers Association have threatened to lead an agitation to the Sanjivani Sugar Factory at Darbandora on January 7 given the failure of the government in fulfilling the assurances given to the farmers before taking the abrupt decision to close down the Sanjivani Sugar Factory for the current year.
The decision to lead the agitation was taken at a largely attended meeting of sugarcane cultivators held at Wadem Curdi on Sunday. The meeting was addressed by President of Farmers Association Rajendra Dessai and member Francisco (Ayetin) Masacarenhas.
In his address, Dessai criticised Cooperation Minister Govind Gaude for giving false assurances at a farmers meeting held two months ago at Curdi Sanguem.
Dessai recalled that during the meeting held at Curdi, Gaude had assured to make due arrangement to import labour from neighbouring States to harvest sugarcane within a time frame. Moreover, he claimed, Gaude had also assured the sugarcane cultivators of setting up a new plant in place of the dilapidated and outdated plant at the Sanjivani Sugarcane Factory within a period of one year.
Gaude however failed to keep both his assurances as of now, claimed Dessai ultimately forcing the sugarcane cultivators to resort to agitation.
Dessai informed that the agitation would continue till the government gives a written assurance to the farming community of making provision for availability of labour and that of setting up of the new plant within a year.
Given the failure of the government to make available labourers to harvest sugarcane, the farmers have themselves arranged 38 groups of labourers to harvest sugarcane. However, this has not been sufficient and as of date only around 8000 tonnes of sugarcane stands cut and transported. “Around 25,000 tonnes still remain to be harvested and under the present circumstances it is almost impossible to get the remaining cane harvested in time for want of labour and transport arrangement,” Dessai informed.
Dessai also accused the government of taking the farmers for granted.
Francisco Mascarenhas threatened to take the agitation to the next level if the government fails to give in writing of fulfilling its assurances given to the farmers. With none of the assurances given by the government getting fulfilled, the cane cultivators are at the receiving end of facing huge losses if the situation does not improve.
The farmers have taken huge amount of loans from banks and other co-operative societies to cultivate sugarcane and in the event of failure of the government to make the payment on time and arrange for labour to harvest the cane cultivation, farmers will run into severe debts.
Mascarenhas also demanded that the government compensate the farmers for losses they would suffer for the next fifteen years if the government fails in getting new machinery at the Sanjivani Sugar factory within a year.
The meeting was attended by over 300 farmers who unanimously agreed to lead the agitation on January 7 at Sanjivani Sugar Factory.
