Kolhapur: Maharashtra state excise department has cancelled the license of Shree Dudhganga Vedganga cooperative sugar factory limited, Bidri, tehsil Kagal, in Kolhapur district, for allegedly causing a loss of nearly Rs 12 crore to the state exchequer.
The sugar factory is currently led by a panel headed by former NCP MLA K P Patil, who is set to join MVA.
In the factory elections held last year, the panel led by Patil won over the panel led by Prakash Abitkar, the sitting Shiv Sena MLA of the Bhudargad assembly segment.
For two days, state excise officials carried out inspections of the factory over a mismanagement complaint. The order issued by the department states that excise officials found molasses stocked in excess of the limit prescribed. Molasses is distilled to prepare spirit, which is the base for most alcoholic preparations. Also, a stock of unsold spirits (99% alcohol) was found. The total cost of both comes to around Rs 12 crore.
Patil told reporters that this was a political vendetta. He said the ruling dispensation does not want him to join MVA. “The sudden factory inspection, I suspect, is because of the Lok Sabha poll defeat of the Shiv Sena candidate, the grand welcome of the Congress candidate to a village I was present in, and, most importantly, the likelihood of the Shiv Sena sitting MLA’s defeat. The MLA betrayed his party and brass. He is scared of defeat in the assembly polls,” said Patil.
Abitkar was not available for his comment on the accusations made by Patil.
