Balangir: The Bijayananda Cooperative Sugar Mill at Sagarpalli in Deogaon, Balangir is witnessing a major push toward revival, marking a significant step forward for the agrarian economy of western Odisha.
This development follows a high level visit to the facility by Deputy Chief Minister Shri K V Singh Deo and Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Secretary Shri Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav, highlighting the state government’s focus on empowering farmers and rejuvenating cooperative industries.
Established originally in 1993 on an eighty six acre plot of land by a private enterprise, the factory initially operated with great success, handling a crushing capacity of two thousand five hundred metric tonnes of sugarcane daily. It served as the sole large scale, agriculture based industry in Balangir district. However, severe financial losses forced the private promoters to halt operations by the year 2000.
Recognizing the vital role the mill played in supporting the local community, the Odisha government stepped in around 2004 to bring the facility under the state cooperative framework. This intervention successfully revived the mill, allowing it to operate efficiently for nearly a decade. At its peak, the cooperative factory supported over seven thousand local sugarcane farmers, hundreds of plant workers, and a widespread network of transporters and traders across five districts, including Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Boudh, and Sonepur.
Unfortunately, due to accumulating financial debts and administrative challenges, the mill ground to a complete halt in May 2014. The subsequent decade of closure dealt a heavy blow to the regional economy. The long shutdown prompted ongoing appeals, rallies, and memorandums from local farmer unions urging a restart, as many growers were forced to scale back their crops or sell their harvest under unfavorable conditions elsewhere.
The current revival initiative aims to address these long standing issues. Because the machinery has remained idle for over ten years, the immediate focus involves assessing technical degradation, exploring structural and financial restructuring for the cooperative framework, and rebuilding confidence among local farmers to scale up sugarcane cultivation once again. The effort underscores a strategic commitment to strengthening regional agro industrial growth and restoring a vital economic lifeline for western Odisha.