Reopen sugar mill shut by Chouhan govt: Scindia to CM Kamal Nath

The sugar mill at Kailaras was established five decades back keeping in view the interests of sugarcane-growing farmers in the Gwalior-Chambal region. The mill was a lifeline for farmers in Morena and adjoining areas, Scindia said in the letter.

AICC general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia has written to chief minister Kamal Nath to bring to his notice the hardships that a large number of farmers are facing in the Gwalior-Chambal region due to the closure of a sugar mill at Kailaras in Morena district during the previous BJP regime.

Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia addresses an election campaign rally at Ratu Garh Kila ground in Ranchi. (File photo: PTI)

The sugar mill at Kailaras was established five decades back keeping in view the interests of sugarcane-growing farmers in the Gwalior-Chambal region. The mill was a lifeline for farmers in Morena and adjoining areas, Scindia said in the letter.

The former union minister said, “Kailaras Sugar mill has a glorious history. This mill is not only the lifeline for sugarcane-growing farmers of Kailaras, Joura and Morena but also assumes importance for such farmers from Gwalior, Datia and Bhind districts after the closure of the Dabra sugar mill.”

Scindia said the then government closed down the Kailaras sugar mill in 2008-09 citing revenue loss, which was, however, caused by mismanagement during the BJP regime. The then government did not address the concerns of thousands of sugarcane-growing farmers of the region and employees of the mill while taking the decision to close down the mill.

Scindia has suggested that the government can give a grant to the sugar mill management to clear its outstanding dues of Rs 29 crore. After that the mill can run either in public-private partnership mode or as a cooperative as earlier, he said.