Madurai: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a protest in front of the Madurai collectorate on Tuesday, demanding that the state government reopen the Alanganallur National Co-operative Sugar Mill, which has remained closed for the past eight years, reported The Times of India.
Addressing the protest, CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam reminded the government that reopening the mill was a key electoral promise made by the DMK. He submitted a petition to District Collector K. J. Praveen Kumar, urging immediate action to revive the defunct mill.
“This was one of the most important cooperative sugar mills in the southern districts. Its closure has affected hundreds of workers and sugarcane farmers. Many had to leave their villages in search of work elsewhere,” said Shanmugam.
He pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Farmers’ Association had previously staged protests regarding the same issue. Agriculture Minister M. R. K. Panneerselvam had also assured the Assembly that the mill would be reopened. “Even after four years, that assurance has not been fulfilled. The government should allocate the necessary funds and ensure the factory is reopened within this year,” he added.
When asked why the issue was being raised through a protest despite the CPI(M)’s alliance with the ruling DMK, Shanmugam said the protest itself was a way of conveying the public’s demand. “We are voicing the concerns of the people. We hope the government will respond positively and keep its promise,” he said.
