Panaji: Sugarcane farmers concluded their indefinite strike on Tuesday following assurances from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that the Sanjivani sugar factory will be operational again by March next year, reported The Times of India.
A delegation of farmers, led by President Rajendra Desai, engaged in discussions with Sawant at his official residence in Altinho. During a press briefing, Sawant stated that the government has issued a ‘request for qualification’ to eligible entities for the redevelopment of the factory, incorporating ethanol production through a public-private partnership.
“We anticipate finalizing the contractor within the next three months, to restore functionality to the factory by March 2025. We are fully prepared to recommence operations at the factory. The motivation behind the farmers’ agitation is unclear to me, perhaps it was prompted by the upcoming elections,” Sawant remarked.
It is noteworthy that after four days of staging an indefinite sit-in protest outside the Sanjivani sugar factory in Dharbandora, nearly 300 sugarcane farmers, including approximately 120 women, shifted their demonstration to Azad Maidan on Monday. Their protest aimed to seek clarity from the government regarding the revival of the factory.
The government had closed down the factory in the fiscal year 2019-20 citing recurring mechanical issues and the unavailability of spare parts.
