Goa's Lone Sugar Factory Faces Operational Hurdles and Redevelopment Challenges

The only sugar factory in Goa, established by the state's first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar, is non-operational. A redevelopment plan to convert it into an ethanol manufacturing facility has seen no interest. Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik disclosed that the factory, currently managed by an administrator, is supported by government funds for employee salaries and offers financial assistance to farmers.

Goa's sole sugar factory, which was inaugurated by the state's first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar, remains non-operational. Efforts to redevelop the facility into an ethanol manufacturing unit have garnered no interest, state agriculture minister Ravi Naik revealed.

In a statement to the assembly on Friday, Naik detailed that the Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited (SSSKL) in Dharbandora village is currently under the administration of an appointed official due to the absence of a board of directors.

Naik mentioned that a Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the redevelopment of SSSKL into a public-private partnership ethanol facility received no bids. The enterprise employs 91 permanent staff, 78 contractual workers, and one daily wage laborer, all of whom have been compensated by state funds until April. Farmers were paid Rs 1200 per metric tonne (MT) of sugarcane during the 2019-20 crushing season, with the government supplementing an additional Rs 1800 per MT and Rs 600 per MT for harvesting charges. The state has also compensated farmers with Rs 3600 per MT for unharvested sugarcane.

(With inputs from agencies.)