- Bihar government reviving two cooperative sugar mills.
- PM Modi to lay foundation stone on November 20.
- IPL entrusted with establishment, boosting farmer income and jobs.
Jagran Bureau, New Delhi: The Bihar government has taken a major step toward restarting two long-shuttered cooperative sugar mills in Bihar. New cooperative sugar mills will be established at Madhubani's Sakri and Darbhanga's Rayam in Bihar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for these projects on November 20. Indian Potash Limited (IPL) has been entrusted with their establishment and operation. The state government believes that the opening of these mills will provide local markets for sugarcane farmers in Bihar, increase their income, and create new employment opportunities.
Ram Kripal Yadav gave information
During a meeting with Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on Thursday, Bihar's Cooperation Minister Ram Kripal Yadav outlined plans to revive shuttered sugar mills in the state. The state government has also pledged to revive other closed sugar mills in a phased manner, and cabinet approval has already been received.
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Adarsh Sugar Complex being built in Rayam
Ram Kripal stated that the process of establishing a co-operative power generation unit with a new co-operative sugar mill on the land of the closed sugar mill in Sakri is underway. An ideal sugar complex is being developed in Rayam. Agreements have been reached with IPL for both projects. Preparations are underway to begin production within the stipulated timeframe.
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The importance of these projects goes beyond simply restarting two sugar mills. The closure of sugar mills in sugarcane-producing areas of Bihar has forced farmers to transport their produce to distant markets.
What will be the benefit of this step?
Once the new mills are operational, local sugarcane procurement will reduce both transportation costs and time. This is expected to increase farmers' confidence in sugarcane cultivation. Co-generation of electricity alongside sugar production will also enhance the mills' economic viability.
To connect sugarcane farmers to the cooperative system, the formation of Primary Sugarcane Producer Cooperative Societies at the sugar mill level has also been approved. An online application process has been initiated. The objective is to transform farmers into partners in the cooperative system rather than simply suppliers of sugarcane.
During the meeting with the Union Minister, discussions also focused on computerisation of PACS in Bihar, timely payment of minimum support prices to farmers, and developing cooperative institutions into multipurpose service centres. It was reported that a proposal for the computerisation of 2,330 PACS would be submitted in the second phase.
Common Service Centres operate in 5,807 PACS, Jan Aushadhi Centres in 2,469, and Public Distribution System in 3,886 PACS in the state. The Bihar government has also implemented the "Bihar State Cooperative Policy-2026" to make cooperatives the foundation of the rural economy.
Under the vegetable sector, schemes worth Rs 106.39 crore and the "Bihari Tarkari Har Thali" mission have linked more than 1.18 lakh farmers to the cooperative system. The Sakri and Rayam sugar mills are being seen as key projects linking agriculture, industry, and employment through cooperatives.