‘Finish expansion work of Bhogpur mill by Feb 2019’

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 15

In a major relief to sugarcane growers of the region, Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Saturday asked the authorities to complete the ongoing expansion work of the 62-year-old Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mill by February next year.

The minister, who visited the Bhogpur Sugar Mill here, inspected the ongoing expansion work of the mill, which has a capacity of 1,016 tonnes of cane crushing per day (TCD). He said the state government was spending Rs 108 crore on this ambitious project that would enhance the capacity of the plant to 3000 TCD. 

Randhawa said the plant would be made operational for crushing season 2019-2020. The minister added that besides expansion and modernization, a cogeneration plant would also be set up, which would produce 15-MW power. He said 8.54 MW will be exported to the PSPCL.

The Cabinet minister said the mill would generate a revenue of Rs 25 crore every crushing season by exporting the power. He said that the mill caters to the need of sugarcane cultivators, who produce sugarcane on 12,772 hectares of land in the region. 

Randhawa said the mill was spread over 109 acres out of which the expansion work was going on 25 acres.

The minister said the agency trusted with the work of expansion of this mill would oversee its operation and maintenance for one year. He added that the state government was fully committed to commission this renovated plant by February next year. 

Randhawa also asked the officers and representatives of the executing agency to come to Chandigarh on Monday to resolve the pending issues, if any. 

“No cooperative sugar mill in the state will be closed and all-out efforts will be made to ensure their revival. Strengthening the Cooperative Department is the need of hour to bail out farmers facing an agrarian crisis. To facilitate the farmers, an online system will be introduced under which farmers will be issued e-slips who will come for cane crushing,” the minister added.  

The minister was accompanied by former Punjab minister Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Special Secretary, Cooperation, Sanjay Popli, Joint Registrar, Cooperatives, Bhupinder Singh Walia, and Deputy Registrar Sukha Singh.