Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal on Friday emphasized on the upgradation of cooperative sugar mills, specifically in the border areas having high sugarcane potential so as to generate employment opportunities and economic development of border areas.
In this regard, a draft plan would be discussed in the next meeting of the cabinet sub-committee to make a long term plan regarding revival of theses sugar mills in the State.
Manpreet, presiding over a cabinet sub-committee meeting in the presence of Forests, Printing and Stationery and Welfare of SCs and BCs Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and former minister and former MP Mohinder Singh KP, said that Government would take adequate steps for revitalization of cooperative sugar industry to make them financially self-sustainable.
Notably, the cabinet sub-committee was formed to look into proposals given by the ‘Group of Experts’ for revival of loss making cooperative sugar mills in the state.
The Cabinet sub-committee discussed the report presented by Group of Experts, constituted by the Punjab Government to give suggestions for revival and upgradation of the cooperative sugar mills in the state.
It was also discussed that in prevailing circumstances, resulting in major fluctuation of sugar and molasses prices, the sugar industry could only be survived by having facilities to generate income from by-products like co-generation and ethanol etc.