Shah inaugurates Pravara Sugar Factory’s expanded facility at Ahilyanagar in Maha

AHILYANAGAR: Union Home and Cooperation minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated the expanded facility of Pravara Sugar Factory here in Maharashtra, and unveiled statues of Padma Shri Dr Vithalrao Vikhe Patil and Padma Bhushan Balasaheb Vikhe Patil. The event was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Union MoS for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol.

Earlier in the day, Shah visited Shirdi Sai Dham to pray for the nation’s well-being. At the event, he congratulated the Maharashtra government for renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar, calling it “a feat of pride driven by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”

Referring to the recent heavy rains that damaged over 60 lakh hectares of farmland, Shah said the Centre had disbursed Rs 1,631 crore out of its Rs 3,132 crore allocation for 2025–26. He lauded the state government’s Rs 2,215 crore relief package for 31 lakh farmers and promised swift Central support once a detailed report is received.

Paying tribute to Dr Vithalrao Vikhe Patil, Shah hailed him as “a pioneer of India’s cooperative movement and father of the world’s first cooperative sugar mill,” while praising Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil for advancing education and healthcare through cooperatives.

Highlighting the factory’s growth, Shah said its processing capacity had increased from 500 tonnes per day in 1950–51 to 7,200 tonnes, with plans to double it to 15,000 tonnes.