DW BUREAU / Gurdaspur Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday laid foundation stone to enhance the existing capacity from 2000 TCD to 5000 TCD in Cooperative Sugar MilL, Gurdaspur at a cost of Rs, 413.80 crore. After laying the foundation stone the Chief Minister addressing a gathering said that with increased capacity the Mill would crush daily 50,000 to 60,000 tons of sugarcane besides supplying 20mw power to state grid. He said that the project would be completed at a cost of Rs 413.80 crore including Rs. 369 crore is to be incurred on setup of plant, machinery and civil works. Besides this, an ethanol plant of 120 KLPD capacity is also being established as the tenders were already floated, said the CM adding that with 5000 TCD capacity a 28 MW co-generation project would also come up in the mill. He said that the mill would not only generate power but also make sulphur less sugar. Channi also lauded the efforts of local MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra in carrying forward the legacy of development thus paving way of overall development in the region. In his address Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who also holds Cooperative portfolio, apprised the CM that the Gurdaspur Sugar Mill was supplying sugarcane to six mills. Lambasting at SAD-BJP Government for deliberately ignoring the interests of sugarcane growers and sugarmills, Randhawa said that the then CM Parkash Singh Badal was the only responsible to devastate Punjab and Cooperative system besides causing severe harm to Sikh religion for their vested political interests. He also announced that Punjab's biggest ever Rs. 600 crore project is being setup and approval for Rs. 215 crore ethanol plant at Gurdaspur had also been received. The Deputy CM also mentioned that all 87 land mortgage banks were in financial loss in the SAD-BJP government during their 10 year regime which had now been strengthened by the present Punjab Government. He also pointed out that the sugarcane growers would soon get the payments within 24-hours. The Deputy CM also thanked Punjab CM for paying attention to upgrade mills as per the need of present time since after 1988 the capacity of 2000 TCD was never hiked. The mill was established in 1980 with initial capacity of 1250 TCD. Addressing the gathering, Revenue Minister Aruna Chaudhary said that it was a historic day for the region as the capacity of this Sugarmill is being enhanced since they had run pillar to post for this purpose during previous SAD-BJP Government. She said that with this revolutionary step of sugarmill's expansion taken by the Channi Government would prove a milestone in the time to come in the region. She also mentioned that the day was not far when the sugar cane growers would start to get the payments of their crop within 24 hours after its procurement in the mill. (editor@dailyworld.in)