Hindustan Times reports the Punjab govt has finally decided to revive three ailing sugar mills in Gurdaspur, Nawanshahar and Nakodar. Distilleries attached to one sugar mill each in these locations will be reopened, says the report.
The distilleries will be given to private players on ”built, operate and transfer’’ [BOT] basis and the Punjab state federation of sugar mills[SUGARFED] will get a fixed amount from the private parties. The two distilleries will produce industrial alcohol while the third one in Nakodar alcohol, for human consumption.
The Sugarfed controls nine mills in the cooperative sector. All these mills are in the red. The state govt. intends taking a raft of measures to revive them all, says financial commissioner [cooperation] S.K.Sindhu.
Experts say reopening of all three distilleries will cost Rs 164 crore. Sugarfed general manager MP Singh is quoted as saying that nine sugar mills in the cooperative sector in Punjab produce 400 quintals of molasses a year.
