Tiruchirapalli: The anticipated revival of the NPKRR Cooperative Sugar Mill at Thalainayar near Vaitheeswaran Koil in Mayiladuthurai district remains uncertain, as the State government has not made any formal announcement in this regard in the recent Agriculture Budget, reported The Hindu.
In his speech presenting the Agriculture Budget for 2024-25, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam acknowledged the functioning of 13 cooperatives, two public, and 15 private sugar mills in the State. He outlined the government’s intention to launch a scheme aimed at modernizing weighbridges, hydraulic tipplers, cane yards, and machinery to enhance the efficiency of sugar mills. However, conspicuously absent was any mention of the much-anticipated revival of the NPKRR Sugar Mill at Thalainayar in Mayiladuthurai district.
The Minister had previously announced the State government’s commitment to reviving the sugar mill last year. An expert committee, comprising senior officials from the Department of Sugar, was subsequently formed to explore possibilities for restarting the operations of the sugar mill, which had ceased crushing in 2016 due to technical issues in the production process. Sugarcane growers in the Mayiladuthurai district have since redirected their produce to sugar mills in the Cuddalore and Thanjavur districts.
The expert committee, along with officers from the district administration, inspected the sugar mill in February of the previous year and submitted a report to the State government. Official sources hinted at optimistic prospects for the revival of the sugar mill. Stakeholders, including sugarcane growers and farmers’ organizations, have consistently advocated for the revival and are eagerly awaiting a positive response from the State government. The expert committee’s report is currently under consideration by the Department of Sugar, and after scrutiny, an official decision from the State government may be forthcoming.
