Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved allotment of 100 acre of land to the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) in Jalna district. The Institute, which is situated at Hadapsar in Pune district, is engaged in the research in sugarcane and operates through three channels including academic, extension and research.
VSI chief and former union minister Sharad Pawar at the annual general meeting held last month had urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to allot land in Jalna district.
VSI has been pursuing for the land allocation for last five years. Thackeray, who was present at the VSI's annual general meeting, had assured that land allotment. Today cabinet gave its approval.
Minister of Public Health and VSI board member Rajesh Tope told FPJ,'' VSI is established in the year 1975 by the sugarcane grower members of cooperative sugar factories. It works for the improvement in the socio-economic status of sugarcane grower farmers through research by providing to them new and cutting edge technologies by undertaking or helping to carry on research and other scientific work in connection with the trade or industry related to sugarcane/ sugarbeet or other sugar bearing plants, sugar by-products and allied industries in India.''
He informed that VSI undertakes development activities in sugar factories for improving their techno-economic efficiency.
Tope said the sugar industry in Maharashtra contribute about Rs 4,000 crore worth taxes annually. '' Research and development is equally important for the sugarcane growers and farmers to change their practices in view of constraints on use of water and atmospheric changes. VSI in Jalna district will play major role in academic, extension and research,'' he noted.
