Mumbai, March 24: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the Chief Secretary on Tuesday to establish a state-level committee to address financial aid issues related to the sugar industry. He requested an immediate report from them.
The committee will include the secretaries of the Cooperation, Agriculture, and Finance Departments, the Sugar Commissioner, the Industry Secretary, and the Managing Director of the State Cooperative Bank.
These instructions were issued during a meeting held at the Vidhan Bhavan to discuss the challenges faced by the sugar industry.
Fadnavis stated that the committee will conduct a thorough study of the difficulties faced by sugar mills, the nature of their problems, potential reforms, and alternative arrangements. This will facilitate the preparation of a financial package by the state government for the industry.
He emphasized the need for a work plan to provide potential financial aid before the upcoming crushing season.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the necessity for a regulatory framework by the state government for major jaggery and khandsari projects, stating that a draft of these regulations should be presented within the next 15 days.
Fadnavis remarked, “The state government adopts a positive approach towards making strategic decisions to empower the sugar industry and eliminate its obstacles.”
He further mentioned that the state government will strive to meet with the central government alongside a delegation from the sugar factory association to secure necessary cooperation and concessions. The government will make every effort to ensure support from both state and central levels to address the challenges faced by sugar factories.
Earlier, representatives from the sugar industry, including Harshvardhan Patil, Dilip Walse Patil, Jayant Patil, Rajesh Tope, and Abhimanyu Pawar, demanded that the state government provide direct financial assistance of ₹500 per ton to cover the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), similar to what is offered in Punjab and Karnataka.
They urged the government to provide open market loans with interest subsidies to clear pending dues. They also requested long-term restructuring of all factory loans by March 31, including a two-year moratorium and a repayment period of 10-12 years.
Industry representatives also requested the Chief Minister to lead a delegation to Prime Minister Modi and Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. They sought an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar to ₹4,100 per quintal, a rise in ethanol prices, the release of ₹69 crore in pending interest subsidies for 21 ethanol projects, and instructions for banks to provide loans despite low margins.
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Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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