Mumbai: India’s first Sugar Museum, showing the history and development of this key industry, will come up at the Sakhar Sankul situated in Shivajinagar in Pune.

The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also is the Finance Minister of the state, while presenting the budget for Maharashtra on Monday.

The MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) led by CM Uddhav Thackeray has allocated budget of Rs 40 crore for setting up a sugar museum in Pune. "The proposed Sugar Museum will be built at a cost of Rs 40 crore. It will depict the progress made by the sugar industry in the state and its additional industries," said Pawar.

It will also present how sugar has transformed rural Maharashtra, the various achievements in its growth, and the supporters behind its growth and sustenance. It may be recalled that, Shekhar Gaikwad, Maharashtra Sugar Commissioner had proposed the plan for unique museum at the Pune-based Vasantdada Sugar Institute's AGM.

Pune is considered the sugar hub of Western Maharashtra, which is known for sugarcane cultivation and sugar factories, besides other allied industries. The Sakhar Sankul which also houses the office of the state sugar commissionerate.

From over 50 years, the local sugar mills have played a vital part in cheering rural political participation and as a stepping stone for politicians in Maharashtra with ties to sugar cooperatives. Currently, there are 170-plus sugar cooperative factories operating in Maharashtra.