Sharad Pawar Promises to Help Revive Sugar Industries in Bihar

Patna: February 14, 2006

Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, on Monday, said he was satisfied by the efforts being made by the Nitish government to revive sugar mills in Bihar adding the UPA government was committed to provide all assistance in this regard.

Pawar, who is in Patna with a host of major sugar industrialists in the nation, was speaking at the Old Secretariat conference room.

Later, at a joint press conference with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Pawar said that Bihar was making all efforts to revive the sugar industry in the state and that has encouraged a number of sugar industrialists to step forward and invest in Bihar.
"I am confident that by the end of this year, work on 5 to 6 new sugar mills at the cost of Rs. 1,500 crore will begin in the state. While the Bajaj Group is interested in opening sugar mills in Gopalganj and Champaran district, the Rajeshwari Group is considering opening similar plants at Chakia and Motipur in Muzaffarpur district," the NCP leader said.

"With the revival of old sugar mills in Bihar in addition to the 5 or 6 new mills in the state, Bihar will be capable of meeting the entire sugar demand of several neighboring states including West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and other north-eastern states," the minister said.

"Bihar's progress will largely depend on the development of agriculture sector including dairy, fishery, vegetable, and research and development in improving the quality of seeds," the Chief Minister said.