Amid ongoing demonstrations at the Dharbandora Sugar Factory premises, sugarcane farmers have decided to move their protest to Azad Maidan in Panjim from Monday. They persist with their demand for the establishment of an ethanol plant at the Sanjivani Sugar Factory. Urging both farmers and locals to support their cause, the President of the Farmers Association, Rajendra Desai, highlighted the delay in action despite government assurances regarding the ethanol plant.
Desai expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of government response or engagement on the issue despite a contractor being ready to initiate the plant for the past three months. “It's been nearly three months now, the contractor is ready to start the plant, but government is neither responding nor a govt. officials visits the farmers to discuss their issues,” said Desai.
Harshad Prabudesai echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the critical role of sugarcane production in the survival of farmers. He affirmed a commitment to a peaceful and democratic agitation aimed at initiating the ethanol plant at Sanjivani, stressing the importance of this step for the farmers' livelihoods. "We will democratically stage this agitation to start an ethanol plant at Sanjivani, the farmers' survival fully depends on sugar cane Production," he added.