The locals had expected that PM Bhattarai, who had arrived in Kailali last Friday to inaugurate the Far-West festival, would listen to their concerns and promise to help them resume the sugar mill. [break]However, PM Bhattrai went elsewhere instead of visiting Basuling Sugar Mill, irking the locals.
The mill, which was established at a whopping investment of Rs one billion, was shut down during the Maoist insurgency seven years ago.
At a time when everyone, including the mill director Arun Chand and local sugarcane farmers are committed to bringing the mill back into operation by December of 2014, PM Bhattarai´s indifference has upset the locals. It is also because they have already started sugar farming in 400 bighas of land in various parts of the district.
The mill, arguably one of the country´s biggest industries, was closed in 2005 following shortage of sugarcane after many people left their villages fearing Maoist attack. The mill director Chand had also been abducted by the Maoists then, leading to closure of the mill.
Harka Bahadur Kathriya, member of a committee formed by locals for bringing the mill back into operation, said, "It is really sad that the PM didn´t show any concern to bring the industry into operation."
The industry, which has the production capacity of 37,000 metric tons per year, was providing direct employment to 1,200 people and indirect employment to around 25,000 farmer households.
According to Dabal Bahadur Saha, another member of the committee, nearly 1,200 farmers of Kailali, Kanchanpur and Bardiya decided to reopen the industry on March 5, 2011 at Sukhad of Kailali and had further made a written commitment too.
"But the government maintains silence. It has really hurt the sentiments of the people of far-western region," he added.
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