Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Chandrakant Patil today said that he would try to get approval for a proposal of Rs 2,000 crore package announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisfor sugar industry in upcoming state cabinet meeting due on May 19 in Mumbai.
This was stated by Mr Patil, who is also district guardian minister, while addressing a delegation of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders from the district, led by former state minister and senior NCP leader Hasan Mushrif, at Government guest house here this evening.
Mr Patil said that he would see to it that the cabinet takes up the proposal in its next meeting and passes it.
He urged the cooperative sugar factory owners to give Fair Remunerative Price per tone to the sugarcane farmers as both the central and state governments had taken various remedial measures for the benefit of sugar millers including hike in import duty from 25 to 40 per cent.
The state government would also insist on the central government to increase the minimum limit of sugar buffer stock at 30 lakh tonnes, which would eventually help sugar industries in the state, the Minister added.
During the meeting, Mr Mushrif expressed displeasure with the government for announcing a package of Rs 2,000 crore for sugar industry but they have not received a single rupee so far from the government even as the crushing season comes to an end soon.
He warned the Minister if the government failed to approve a package of Rs 2,000 crore in state cabinet meeting, then NCP would launch agitation against the government with a 'gherao' of Mr Patil's residence here on June six. Besdies Mr Mushrif, who is also chairman of Santaji Ghorpade sugar factory; MP Dhanajay Mahadik; K P Patil, NCP district president and chairman of Bidree cooperative sugar factory; Mansing Gaikwad, chairman of Udaysinh cooperative sugar factory; Rajendra Patil-Yadravkar, chairman of Sharad cooperative sugar factory;Vishunpant Kesarkar, chairman of Ajara cooperative sugar factory; Praveensinh Patil, vice-chairman of Bidree factory; A Y Patil, newly elected director of Kolhapur District Central Cooperative Bank; Bhayya Mane, Namdevrao Bhoitye, former MLA and other NCP leaders were part of the delegation.