Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has given in-principle approval for the revival of two long-defunct sugar mills in the state by India Potash Limited (IPL).
The two cooperative sugar mills, Bijayananda Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd in Balangir and Badamba Cooperative Sugar Industries Ltd in Cuttack, have been non-operational for over a decade. With this move, the state hopes to boost sugarcane farming and revive the sugar sector.
The New Indian Express citing sources reported the state government has recently approved the proposal of IPL to revive the mills and asked the leading fertiliser industry to submit a detailed project report (DPR) for further action. IPL is the largest importer and distributor of potash in India.
IPL has requested 40 to 50 acres of land for the proposed projects. The company plans not only to restart sugar production but also to set up facilities for related activities. It has suggested that sugarcane cultivation across at least 15,000 hectares will be needed to support operations at full scale.
A official involved in the process said that while land allocation has not yet been finalised, the government has cleared the proposal for both mills. For the Balangir plant specifically, sugarcane must be grown over at least 6,000 hectares, and the state plans to roll out a strategy in the next financial year to increase sugarcane cultivation in the region.
The move is expected to boost rural employment, improve farmers’ incomes, and revive the cooperative sector in western and coastal Odisha.
