POINGUINIM: Around 200 sugarcane cultivators resorted to an agitation in Sanguem seeking early decision on their demands.
Farmers gathered in front of the deputy collector’s office under the banner of Uss Utpadhak Sangarsh Samiti seeking a written assurance from the government compensating their standing crop at Rs 3,600 per tonne till Sanjivani sugar factory becomes operational.
Cultivators are upset with the government for having failed to reply to their memorandum of December 23 wherein a deadline of 10 days was set.
Farmers also demanded payment of compensation every year by February end and the basis for calculating it shall be the highest average of the sugarcane supplied by individual farmers during the last 10 years.
Samiti chairman Kushta Gaonkar said the cultivators will not withdraw their agitation until government gives a written assurance on solving their demands.
Deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavlekar appealed the agitating farmers to give time till Tuesday for a solution and that he would take up the matter with the chief minister.
He said that an amount Rs 6.3 crore was disbursed to farmers before Chaturthi and another Rs 80 lakh to 58 farmers in respect of standing crops. He said the rate of harvested crop has been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 600 per tonne.
Gaonkar requested him not to persuade the farmers to withdraw their agitation as the government had repeatedly failed to resolve their grievances.
Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar who supported the agitation urged the government not to play with the sentiments of the farmers. He also appealed the farmers to support and join the dharna if the government fails to give a written assurance in respect of their demands.
Vice chairman of the samiti Chandan Unankar said they have lost faith in the previous committee of the farmers and constituted the new one to pursue the matter vigorously.
Sanguem mamlatdar Manoj Korgaonkar visited the agitating farmers and heard their grievances.