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Demand for revival of Nizam Sugar Factory gains momentum
A large number of people will get direct and indirect employment if the Nizam Sugar Factory at Sarangapur in the district is revived as promised by TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao and TRS leader Kalvakuntla Kavita. The people have been demanding that the State government keep its election promise to gladden the hearts of workers and farmers of the region.
Nizamabad: A large number of people will get direct and indirect employment if the Nizam Sugar Factory at Sarangapur in the district is revived as promised by TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao and TRS leader Kalvakuntla Kavita. The people have been demanding that the State government keep its election promise to gladden the hearts of workers and farmers of the region.
The factory was set up at Sarangapur on November 14, 1964 in cooperative sector, one and only such entity in the State then. In fact, the Nizam Sugar Factory was set up at Bodhan in 1920 in partnership with farmers as the area under sugar cane swelled in the region. But, it was later privatised. Crushing in the Sarangapur unit could not take place during the 1973-74 for want of sugarcane.
During 2003-2005, the government support to sugarcane growers was dismal. The then Chandrababu Naidu government was accused of creating conditions conducive for closing down the factory. The sugarcane growers stood united, moved the court and halted the then government’s move to privatise the unit. Otherwise, it would have met the same fate as that of the Nizam Sugar Factory at Bodhan.
The Sarangapur unit’s jurisdiction extends over 127 villages in nine mandals and the number of shareholders is put at 22,000. Over 6,000 growers cultivate sugarcane under the factory limits. The then in-charge managing director John Victor proposed to Cane Commissioner to revive the unit pumping Rs 20 crore funds into the factory.
The funds are required to develop sugarcane crop under the factory limits, undertake repairs to factory machinery, purchase new machinery, pay wages to workers, etc. The revival has been apparently delayed by one more year as seed preparations for raising the main plantation in January and February 2016 are yet to take place.
Farmers and workers are demanding that the KCR government revive the factory and also inaugurate it. The Dr YS Rajashekar Reddy government soon after coming to power in 2004 took measures for the factory’s revival and released funds. Consequently, crushing of sugarcane in the seasons of 2005-06 and 2007-08 was carried out.
The then Andhra rulers are accused of giving support to the sugar factory in Kadapa at the cost of the Nizam Sugar Factory. The Sarangapur unit faced closure because of lackadaisical attitude of officials. As a result, purchase of machinery by the factory has been put on hold. The factory governing body has been accused of keeping their aloof from farmers and denying MSP to growers.
Under this prevailing situation, the factory was closed down during 2008-09. Following agitation by farmers, the then Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajashekar Reddy released Rs 5.85 crore during the crushing season 2011-12.
