State to disburse NCDC loans worth Rs 1590 crores to sugar factories; two factories that went against Mahayuti excluded | Mumbai News – Times of India
MUMBAI: The state government issued an order on Thursday for the disbursal of loans worth Rs 1,590 crores from the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to 11 sugar factories in the state. Significantly, the list excluded loans worth Rs 200 crores which the body had earlier granted to two sugar factories on the state’s recommendation.
As reported by ToI on July 27, the state revoked permission for loans worth to factories controlled by politicians who were considered uncooperative towards the Mahayuti alliance in the Lok Sabha elections.
These include the Rajgad sugar factory in Pune district which is controlled by Congress MLA Sangram Thopte and was sanctioned a loan of Rs 80 crore. Also, the Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe factory in Ahmednagar controlled by BJP leader Vivek Kolhe which had been sanctioned a loan of Rs 125 crores.
It is being speculated that the two leaders faced the state’s wrath because they did not cooperate with the Mahayuti alliance in the Lok Sabha polls which saw the defeat of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra from Baramati and state revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil’s son Sujay from Ahmednagar.
These NCDC loans were routed through the state. They are based on the recommendation and guarantee given by the state government. Cooperative sugar factories are closely linked to the rural economy and a network of farmers, a reason why they are politically significant.
The 11 NCDC loans which will be disbursed after Thursday’s government resolution will go mainly to cooperative sugar factories controlled by ruling party politicians. These include two cooperative sugar factories controlled by NCP (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Makarand Patil which will collectively receive loans worth Rs 467 crores.
Also, the Tatyasaheb Kore sugar factory in Kolhapur which will receive a loan of Rs 327 crores. It is controlled by Vinay Kore from the Jan Surajya Party which has declared its support to the Mahayuti government. The Loknete Sunderraoji Solanke sugar factory in Beed controlled by NCP (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Prakash Solanke, will receive Rs 97.7 crores.