Sitamarhi: Riga Sugar Mill, dormant for four years, roared back to life on Thursday with CM Nitish Kumar ceremonially placing sugar cane in the mill’s crushing carrier amid the chanting of Vedic hymns. The reopening of the mill is being seen as a milestone for the state’s agrarian economy.
“This will usher in a new era of agrarian economy in four districts — Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Sheohar and East Champaran,” said Putur Devrazulu, chief general manager of Nirani Sugar Ltd, Bengaluru, that has taken over the Riga Sugar Mill.
N B Pariyar, the company’s director, said more than 30 ancillary units would be set up at Riga block headquarters in Sitamarhi district.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM, who is on his ‘Pragati Yatra’, said, “We pledged to restart the mill during the Lok Sabha campaigns and today, we deliver on that promise. The economic scene for farmers in the region will transform and their per capita income will improve.”
The mill’s revival was made possible after Nirani Sugar purchased it for Rs 84 crore in an NCLT auction in Kolkata. The previous operator had deemed the mill non-profitable, leading to its liquidation.
“We plan to replace the small distillery unit with one of higher capacity. Our group already operates nine sugar mills and 19 distilleries across Karnataka and Maharashtra,” Devrazulu said.
