Pune: The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has approved a loan proposal amounting to ₹1898 crore for 13 sugar factories in Maharashtra.

This approval follows the state cabinet's endorsement of the loan proposal, which was subsequently submitted to the NCDC under the Central Cooperative Department.

The central government's approval, granted on July 1, comes in response to the discontent among farmers and sugar factory owners in the sugar belt, which had negatively impacted the government in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The sanctioned loans aim to address these concerns and support the sugar industry in the state. Among the beneficiaries are factories associated with members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Key NCP-associated factories include:

• Loknete Sundarraoji Solanke Sugar Factory (Beed) receiving Rs 104 crore

• Kisanveer (Satara) with ₹350 crore

• Kisanveer (Khandala) with ₹150 crore

• Loknete Marotrao Ghule Patil Dnyaneshwar Factory (Newasa) with ₹150 crore

• Agasti (Ahilyanagar) with ₹100 crore

• Ambajogai (Beed) with ₹80 crore

• Shivajirao Nagawade (Shrigonda) with ₹110 crore

For BJP-associated factories, the loans are as follows:

• Sant Damaji (Mangalwedha) with ₹100 crore

• Vruddheshwar (Pathardi) with ₹99 crore

• Sahakarmaharshi Shankarrao Kolhe (Kopargaon) with ₹125 crore

• Tatysaheb Kore Warnanagar (Kolhapur) with ₹350 crore

• Vitthal Sagar (Dharashiv) with ₹100 crore

Additionally, Congress MLA Sangram Thopte's Rajgad Sugar Factory (Bhor) has been sanctioned Rs 80 crore.

This significant financial assistance is expected to provide much-needed relief and support to the sugar industry, which is a critical sector in Maharashtra's economy.