Morena, Jan 21 Farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district on Tuesday carried out a tractor-march to protest against the auction of a portion of land earlier given on lease to a sugar mill, which had been lying defunct since 2011.
Hundreds of farmers drove tractors towards the sugar mill in Morena to oppose the auction process at the mill premises.
The protest named 'Jail Bharo Aandolan' was supported by Congress as tractors rolled on Morena's road bearing the party's flag.
To ensure law and order in the city, Morena District Police has put up barricades to stop protesters from entering the mill's area, during which, heated arguments were exchanged between protesters and police personnel, according to the report.
Congress MLA from Joura Assembly seat in Morena, Pankaj Upadhyay told media persons that the auction process was put on hold following the protest.
"Morena district administration has assured that the sugar mill will be revived and made functional again. The administration will carry out the auction process later," he added.
The Morena sugar factory, also known as the Kailaras sugar mill, was established in 1973 but closed in 2010-2011 due to relentless revenue loss.
It is said that the factory was closed due to a shortage of sugarcane and working capital. Notably, the state government has planned to revive the Kailaras Sugar Mill, and for this purpose, a revival plan was made, which includes the sale of around 27 hectares of land to clear the debt owed to farmers and workers.
The task of initiating bids and selling the land has been assigned to the Department of Industry.
Interestingly, the increasing use of ethanol as an alternative to petroleum products has brought new hope to the sugar industry.
Many sugar mills in states like Uttar Pradesh and across the country, which had been shut down for years, are now being reopened, with the rising demand for ethanol playing a key role in their resurgence.
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