The Badamba Sugar Mill, now known as laxmipathi Balaji Sugar and Distilleries Pvt ltd, will start sugarcane crushing and sugar production from October this year. It is the lone sugar industry in the erstwhile undivided Cuttack District.
Notably, the laxmipathi Balaji Sugar and Distilleries had purchased the mill through Sales and Purchase Agreement with the State Government with zero liability in a sick, decapitated and defunct condition to protect the interest of the cane farmer and workers. After taking over the mill, the company developed cane areas, provided timely inputs, bank loans to farmers and later paid the highest cane price.
It paid the cane price, which was only Rs800 per tonne set by its former proprietor Shakti Sugars ltd and other companies in the State, at Rs2,000 per tonne in 2010-11. In 2012-13, it further increased the price to Rs2,200 per tonne and introduced round-the-clock spot payment. Following this, more number of farmers evinced interest for cane cultivation and the production increased from two lakh to six lakh tonne within two years in the command year.
The company has taken a challenge to bring further developments of the farmers and workers for the interest of the local workers and cane farmers of undivided Cuttack District. For this, it has sought cooperation from the local people, workers and cane farmers. It has also sought the State Government’s intervention for the economic development of the farmers in coming days and to sideline the self-vested interest of local leaders, who are unnecessarily interfering in the mill’s affair from court to day to day management, said company General Manager (Cane) Suresh Chandra Samal.