Patna, Feb 10 (PTI) The Bihar government is taking concrete steps to establish new sugar mills and revive closed ones to boost employment generation, Sugarcane Industries Minister Sanjay Kumar Paswan said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Paswan said the Sugarcane Industries Department has written to district collectors of 25 districts seeking identification and acquisition of suitable land for setting up new sugar mills.
Among these districts are Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Samastipur, Gaya, Sheohar, Siwan, Rohtas, Motihari, West Champaran, and Patna, he said.
Paswan said employment generation is a key focus of the state government.
“The government aims to provide employment to 1 crore youths in the next five years. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has repeatedly said employment must be promoted to check migration from Bihar. New sugar mills will significantly contribute to job creation,” he said.
The minister said the government is also deliberating on reviving closed sugar mills in the state.
“Discussions are underway to reopen closed units such as the sugar mill at Warisaliganj. Proposals related to Raiyam and Sakri sugar mills in Darbhanga and Madhubani districts, respectively, will soon be placed before the cabinet,” he said.
Paswan said a committee headed by the chief secretary has been constituted to examine the current status of the sugar mills and suggest measures for improvement.
“The committee will submit its report shortly,” he added.
He claimed that Sakri, Raiyam and Sasamusa are three sugar mills that the government aims to make operational within a year.
Responding to concerns over farmers gradually moving away from sugarcane cultivation, Paswan said the department is regularly organising seminars, implementing farmer-centric schemes and that he is personally engaging with cultivators to address their issues.
On the issue of sugarcane pricing, the minister said most sugar mills in Bihar are private limited companies and rates are fixed with their consent.
“Our objective is to ensure rates comparable to Uttar Pradesh, where the price is around Rs 400 per quintal. However, forcibly increasing rates could lead to delayed payments, which would hurt farmers,” he said.
Paswan claimed that 84 per cent of farmers in the state currently receive sugarcane payments within 15 days.
For the 2025–26 crushing season, the Bihar government has fixed the State Advised Price (SAP) for sugarcane at Rs 380 per quintal for the super grade, Rs 360 per quintal for the general grade and Rs 330 per quintal for the low-grade variety at mill gates.
The minister also said efforts are underway to address the issue of waterlogging affecting sugarcane cultivation. PTI SUK SOM
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