Ponda, Goa: On Thursday, Sanjivani sugar mill President Rajendra Dessai, along with Vice Presidents Harshad Prabhudessai and Francis Mascarenhas and other office bearers, informed the media that they found a contractor based in Karnataka to manage the operations of the Sanjivani sugar mill in Dharbandora, reported O Heraldo.
During the press conference, they urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to promptly consider the farmers’ proposal for the revival of the Sanjivani mill. The proposal entails initiating a tendering process without delay, with the aim of kickstarting production, focusing on ethanol, jaggery, or sugar production.
The farmers stressed the importance of the government’s support in empowering them to manage the factory efficiently, emphasizing the urgency of the matter. Francis Mascarenhas expressed gratitude to Social Welfare Minister Subhash Faldesai for facilitating a meeting between Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the chosen contractor. And he appears to be positive towards the farmers proposal to restart the factory with an ethanol plant at the earliest.
Rajendra Desai recalled about the government’s previous attempt to launch ethanol production at the Sanjivanimill under the PPP model. Unfortunately, this effort proved unsuccessful due to the absence of responses from interested parties, which subsequently led to the farmers’ agitation.
In response to the agitation, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the farmers that the government could not undertake the operation of the mill itself. Instead, he encouraged the farmers to seek out a suitable individual or contractor who could effectively manage the Sanjivani mill. Accordingly farmers finally found a contractor from Karnataka who has vast experience in ethanol production and has shown willingness to run the factory.