Shah assures steps to revive sugar mill

Baragada: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured steps to revive the defunct Baragada Cooperative Sugar Mill, according to Baragada MP Pradeep Purohit. During their New Delhi meeting, Purohit also invited Shah to Baragada to inaugurate Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (BPCL) new integrated bio-ethanol plant.

Purohit submitted two letters urging the revival of the historic sugar mill and highlighting the importance of the bio-ethanol project. He noted that under the Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, BPCL invested approximately Rs 1,775 crore to set up eastern India’s first integrated second-generation bio-ethanol plant in Baragada, with a daily capacity of 200 kilolitres.

By turning paddy straw and agricultural waste into raw materials, the plant will boost farmers’ incomes, create jobs, protect the environment, and strengthen the rural economy. Recognising its impact, Purohit invited Shah to Baragada to inaugurate the project.

The MP highlighted the historical, religious, and ecological significance of the Gandhamardan Hills and invited Shah to visit the region and the Shri Shri Nrusinghanath Temple. He also gifted Shah a traditional Sambalpuri jacket celebrating Western Odisha’s weaving heritage. The two leaders also discussed Odisha’s current political situation.

Purohit highlighted the need to revive the 104-acre Baragada Cooperative Sugar Mill at Tora, closed since April 2017 due to financial troubles and mismanagement. Although Indian Potash Limited (IPL) expressed interest in reviving it in November 2022, the process was terminated in October 2023. The closure has hurt hundreds of workers and farmers, nearly wiping out local sugarcane cultivation in the region.

The MP stated that reviving the sugar mill and operationalising the bio-ethanol project would significantly boost Baragada’s agricultural economy by increasing farmers’ incomes, accelerating industrial growth, and creating youth employment.

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Venkat Raman Pradhan

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