Ponda: Sugarcane farmers continued their protest in front of Sanjeevani Sugar Factory on Wednesday demanding the government to start the ethanol plant immediately, and claimed to have received support from farmers and other sections of the society across the state.
Rajendra Desai, president of Sanjeevani Sugarcane Farmers Association, said the agitation will continue until the government resumes factory operations.
Desai said that on Wednesday he met factory administrator Satej Kamat and requested him to immediately send his demands to the government and sought immediate response. The administrator assured the farmers to convey their demands to the government.
Rajendra Desai said that sugarcane farmers have received support from Maharashtra Kisan Union. Its president Raghunath Patil has supported the agitating farmers to make their protest successful. He assured to bring more support from farmers from Maharashtra and across the country if needed.
Congress President Amit Patkar visited the site and assured all possible assistance in starting the ethanol plant.
Patkar said that the government has done injustice to the sugarcane farmers as sugarcane is their only source of livelihood.
He assured that Congress leaders and MLAs will raise this issue in the upcoming assembly session.
He said that the first priority of Congress is to start an ethanol plant.
Meanwhile, women farmers from Vadem Colony in Sanguem joined the farmers’ movement. He said that it is just a cash crop and a means of his livelihood.
The farmers claimed that they do not have any other business and most of the farmers do not have any job.
“If the government remains silent on this issue, we will intensify the agitation. This will continue until the government restarts the factories,” he warned.
