Chandigarh, July 14:
With a view to produce Bio CNG from the residue press mud after crushing and make cooperative sugar mills of the State self-reliant besides giving a boost renewable sources of energy, scores of Bio CNG projects are being set up in the cooperative sugar mills under the Public Private Partnership (PPP). This was disclosed here today at the Markfed office by the Cooperation Minister S. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa at Bhogpur sugar mill on the occasion of handing over ‘Letter of Award’ for establishing such a project with use of press mud.
Divulging more, S. Randhawa said that this would be the second project in the State as part of the series of co-generation, Bio production and additional income generating projects. A similar project is running at Batala Cooperative Mill.
The project would is being set up at a cost of Rs. 30 crore at Bhogpur by M/s. I.S.D. Infrastructure L.L.P., Delhi and would generate an annual income of Rs. 75 lakh with increase in capacity as per the proportionate augmentation of the capability of the mill. In line with the capacity of the project, 100 tonnes press mud would be processed on daily basis.
Pointing out further, S. Randhawa said that the Bio CNG gas would be produced by using press mud apart from the agricultural residue, fruits and vegetable besides residue of poultry farms and cow dung. The initiative would not only be instrumental in keeping the environment clean and green besides increasing the income of the farmers and those engaged in farming and allied activities. The leftover remains after manufacturing Bio CNG would be used as organic manure. The project would be supplied press mud from Nakodar and Nawanshahar sugar mills apart from Bhogpur mill.
In his address, Chairman Sugarfed Amrik Singh Aliwal said that a plan is being worked out for producing electricity during off season by making optimum use of bagasse after crushing, paddy straw and other biomass thus leading to increase in the income of sugar mill as well as the farmers. Likewise, the project would also result in lessening the impact of pollution emanating from burning paddy straw.
Apprising the meeting, Financial Commissioner (Cooperation) K. Siva Prasad said that despite the downturn witnessed in sugar industry at the National and global level, a plan is afoot to turn the sugar complexes into manufacturers of ethanol, co-generation Bio CNG and refined sugar besides sugar at the sugar complexes cooperative sugar mills of the State. As part of the plan, new sugar plants and distilleries are being set up at Gurdaspur and Batala.
The Managing Director, Sugarfed Puneet Goyal said that Guru Nanak Dev Sugarcane Development and Research Centre has been established at Kalanaur for training about modern technical knowhow pertaining to cane cultivation besides ensuring availability of seeds of new and high yielding quality varieties. The main motive of the centre is to augment cane growers by expanding per acre yield of sugarcane.
The Chairman of the Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mill Paramveer Singh thanked the Chief Minister, Cooperation Minister and Sugarfed and expressed hope that the aforesaid initiatives would go a long way in making the mill self reliant.
Among others present on the occasion included MD Markfed Varun Roojam, MD Milkfed Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, MD Punjab State Cooperative Bank Hargunjit Kaur, MD Punjab State Agricultural Development Bank Rajiv Gupta, Chief Engineer Sugarfed Kanwaljit Singh, all board and staff members of Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mill and General Manager Arun Kumar.
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