State Minister Pankaja Munde has stated she was not responsible for the sale of the Vaidyanath Cooperative Sugar Factory, where she previously served as chairperson, reported PTI.
Munde clarified that the factory had been seized by a bank and sold through an auction to a private company, denying any personal involvement in the sale.
“The bank had taken over the mill and sold it through an official auction. This situation would not have arisen if we had received financial support like other sugar factories,” Munde told reporters, reported PTI.
In October, a farmers’ organisation alleged that the Vaidyanath Cooperative Sugar Factory was sold to a private firm without informing shareholders or member farmers. The mill was sold for Rs. 132 crore, with the sale deed registered in August 2025, according to Kuldip Karpe, Beed district president of the Krantikari Shetkari Sanghatana.
Refuting the allegations, Munde said the new owner, the Onkar Group, bought the factory legally through the bank’s auction process. “I did not sell the sugar mill because I was not its owner. I only worked for the mill. The bank seized it and completed the sale through the Debts Recovery Tribunal. I had no role in the process,” she said.
Munde added that the crisis could have been avoided if the factory had received financial assistance similar to other mills. “However, I am free from responsibilities now and satisfied. Dhotre Patil (new owner) will run this mill professionally. Politicians have certain limitations,” she stated.
She further said the Onkar Group has promised to crush around ten lakh tonnes of sugarcane and offer the best rates in the district.
