NT NETWORK
Panaji
Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar on Thursday remarked that the Sawant government is all out to destroy the beleaguered Sanjivani sugar factory and sugarcane cultivation with its wrong moves.
Addressing media persons in Panaji, the Independent legislator slammed the Chief Minister for “lying” in the state legislative assembly over the actual allotment of land for setting up a campus of the National Forensic Sciences University on the land of the sugar factory in Dharbandora taluka.
“There was discussion on the floor of the House for more than one and a half hour on October 19 over the Sanjivani sugar factory and sugarcane cultivating farmers. Replying to the debate, the Chief Minister said the government allotted two lakh sq mt of land of the Sanjivani sugar factory to set up the National Forensic Sciences University. However, on the same day, the South Goa collector office issued a memorandum stating the government granted approval to transfer approximately four lakh sq mt of land of the sugar factory to establish the forensic sciences university and International Law University. The Chief Minister did not mention about four lakh sq mt of land allotment and the International Law University on the floor of the House,” he pointed out.
Terming as “blatant lies” the statement of Sawant on the Sanjivani tangle, Gaonkar feared that the government moves on the
sugar factory land could destroy the factory completely.
“The government has not taken into consideration the farmers engaged in sugarcane cultivation, who are shareholders of the Sanjivani Sahakari Sugar Cooperative Society, before transferring such a huge tract of land for setting up the national institutions. We are not against any project, but the lack of transparency in the process is forcing us to suspect the intentions of the government,” he reckoned.
He also sought clarity from the government on steps taken to increase sugarcane production and also on a plan of action to protect the interest of the sugarcane growers after five years.
Inefficiency and wrong moves of the government have had negative impact on sugarcane production in Sanguem, Quepem, Canacona, Dharbandora and Sattari talukas, and sugarcane farmers are struggling for their livelihood, Gaonkar maintained.
