Chief Minister Raman Singh will be laying foundation stone of the State's fourth Co-operative sugar factory in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh on Monday (December 14).
Notably, the sugar factory to be developed in Kabirdham district with estimated expenditure of around Rs 163.12 crore and will be the second factory in the district and fourth in Chhattisgarh, officials stated.
The factory which would be named after Iron Man of India late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel will be the fourth sugar factory to be established in the State.
The establishment of sugar factory at Pandariya is going to benefit around 20,000 farmers and about 14 megawatt power to be generated from the factory’s biomass will illuminate at least 20,000 households. Moreover, the factory is going to make Chhattisgarh self-reliant in the field of sugar production, officials stated.
As per the official information, the Chief Minister will be reaching Pandariya at 1 pm for laying foundation of the sugar factory. Meanwhile, Singh will also be distributing certificates to shareholder farmers of the cooperative committee formed for operation of the factory.
In the meantime, Singh would also be laying foundation stone of Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Pandariya and will distribute compensation to the tune of around Rs 18 crore to drought affected farmers under Revenue Book circular 6-4. Besides, the doctor-turned-politician will also be inaugurating a programme to be organized for distribution of Rs 24.92 crore as bonus to shareholders (farmers) of Bhoramdev Cooperative Sugar Factory.
On the occasion, Singh who has completed over 2 years of his third tenure as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, is going to lay foundation stone of 10 construction works worth Rs 192.32 crore and dedicate six works of around Rs 5.56 crore.
Notably, Sugarcane production has changed the standard of living of farmers, residing in Pandariya block. It has not only resulted in growth of income but led to development of farmers.
Since 20 years, farmers of Pandariya are engaged in sugarcane production. They used to produce jaggery and sell it in the market. Earlier, due to poverty, only hand full of farmers, who were quite rich, were producing sugarcane in 1 to 2,000 acres of land. But today, even small and poor farmers are also engaged in sugarcane farming.
According to estimated figures, about 5 to 6,000 hectares of sugarcane was produced in the year 2012-2013, which increased up to 6900 hectares in the year 2013-2014.
Crossing all the previous records, more than 7800 hectares of sugarcane was cultivated by farmers in 2014-15.
As compared to other crops, sugarcane production is more beneficial. Possibility of famine is less and crop circle is also encouraged. Beside all this, risk of disease is comparatively less in sugarcane farming. Sugarcane production cost effective in all respects as well as helps in improving financial status of farmers, said one of the farmers, Umashankar Shukla, a resident of Maakri village in Pandariya block.
Sugarcane farming is more beneficial for farmers than farming other crops. Kisan Credit Card and Sugar Industry have led to increase in Sugarcane farming in Pandaria block during the past 8 years.
“Farmers have received more debt from government for producing sugarcane, which has led to increase in income. After the opening of one more sugar industry, more farmers will be encouraged for sugarcane production in the block and it will help improving living standards of farmers,” said farmer Nakul Singh Thakur.
Notably, Chhattisgarh is among the leading States for implementing biomass power projects such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, according to Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Chhattisgarh had biomass projects generating a total of 249 MW of power as on March 31, 2015.
The total power generation from biomass projects by 12 other states during the aforesaid period in Megawatts is as follows- Andhra Pradesh ( 288), Gujarat ( 30.50), Haryana ( 13.50), Karnataka ( 107.50), Madhya Pradesh (26), Maharshtra ( 198), Odisha ( 20), Punjab ( 68.50), Rajasthan ( 101), Tamil Nadu ( 211.70), Uttar Pradesh ( 54) and West Bengal ( 26).
The MNRE provides Central Financial Assistance at the rate of Rs 25.00 lakh per Mega Watt in special category States and Rs 20 lakh per Mega Watt for other States with a cap of Rs. 1.50 crore per project.
Chhattisgarh produced 527.63 lakh cubic meters of bio-gas from family type bio-gas plants and large bio-gas plants in the entire State during the 11th Five Year Plan period.
Biomass power and Co-generation programme is implemented with the main objective of promoting technologies for optimum use of country’s biomass resources for grid power generation.
Biomass materials used for power generation include bagasse, rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, de-oiled cakes, coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, saw dust etc, officials stated.