North East Media Team visited Nagpur

April 24 2012

orth East Media Team visited Nagpur

A North East Media Team consisting 20 Media persons led by staff correspondent of Pioneer, Shri Laimayum Bashanta Sharma visited Nagpur from 19th to 22nd April, 2012. The tour was organised by Shri Nitin Gadkari, National President of BJP. The media team visited various development & welfare projects being taken up by PURTI GROUP which was established under the visionary leadership of Shri Nitin Gadkari.

At present, he is the leading name among politicians who have moved the country on the path of progress through establishment of various projects. Gadkarijee always asked the people to bring about their own and their neighbours' progress through self-help and not to depend on the Government for each & everything. Everybody knows the importance of self-help, but few act upon it. Nitin Gadkarijee is one of those few. The doors of progress can be opened by the simple formulan of "the use of urban wealth and infrastructure by the hands of expert business professionals to bring about tenable progress of the rural areas".

Shri Nitinjee has proved this through successful management of the PURTI GROUP. This ambitious and model group, worth Rs. 500 crore, has brought a sea change in the lives of nearly 2.5 lac people in the Nagpur, Bhand and wardha district. PURTI GROUP is not only providing and inspiration but is also providing help and assistance to the people of other districts Vidarbha to establish financially competent and socially inspired Industries. This group is really an exceptional collection of modern techniques, distant vision, financial discipline, transparent dealings, speedy decision-making, total reliability and social commitment. The PURTI GROUP also continues to work for the progress of the rural areas and population with complete devotion and energy.

The media team visited PURTI POWER AND SUGAR LTD. at Bela, Nagpur District which was established in the year 2000. This project is an all-encompassing project producing sugar, electricity, alcohol, ethanol, bio-diesel and bio-fertilisers. This project, spreads over 200 acres, worth Rs. 300/- crore. Special care is taken to see that it does not harm the environment. The farmer of Vidarbha strongly urges to PURTI Power and Sugar Ltd. to make a special planning to produce the traditional cotton, cash crop like sugarcane also.

As a result, this project has proved a boon for the farmers of the area. The purpose behind the establishment of this project was to develop the sugarcane producing area and to start an integrated industry based on sugarcane. The project has a production capacity of 2500 TPD Sugar, 24.45 MW electricity and 10,000 families are benefitting from the project indirectly. There are 8000 shareholders in this project. The project also provides financial help to the farmers for purchasing tractors and get crop insurance too.

The sugarcane based Industry project with an outlay of Rs. 82 crore and capacity of 2500 TPD produces sugar as well as the fuel for electricity production in the form of bagasse. It also produces bio-diesel, ethanol and bio-fertilisers. It has a Sugarcane and Agricultural Research and Training Centre, residential colonies, school and a health centres also. It has 18 divisional offices in Nagpur and Wardha districts with over 122 workers for sugarcane production and development.

PURTI POWER and SUGAR Ltd. has power plant with a capacity of 24.45 MW which uses sugarcane waste as its fuel. Looking at the dire need for electricity in the Country, Shri Nitin Gadkari started this by-product based Industry as a step towards Non-Conventional Energy production. The company had started production of electricity on a commercial basis in March, 2007. In the beginning, this electricity was sold to MS. Electricity Distribution Board. Today, the company has an agreement with Reliance Energy Trading Ltd. to sell the electricity.

While making sugar from sugarcane, an industrial waste, molasses is formed, Ethanol & Alcohol is made using this molasses. To give financial stability to the PURTI POWER & Sugar Ltd., besides sugar production, 120000 LPD production of E.N.A. & R.S. Alcohol, the company is getting financial stability. The companyis trying to make available the advanced technology of running engines of Ethanol in our country and running all the vehicles on it. It will not only save the foreign exchange but also protect the environment.

Bio-Diesel's first pioneering project in Maharastra, accomodable step towards producing electricity from agricultural produce. The Aadivasis (Aborigines) of Gondia, Chandrapur, Gadchirolinand Vhandra has benefits from it. The seeds of Erandi, Karanji, Moha, Saal and Ratnajyoti collected by them are bought by PURTI form making bio-diesel. Apart from this bio-dieselcan also be produces Palm acid oil and Soyabean acid oil. Bio-diesel production machinery with a production capacity of 3000 LTD is an important step in the direction of saving of foreign exchange. Most of the bio-diesel produced is used in PURTI GROUP. Remaining bio-diesel is sold to the public at a reduced rate.

Organic Bio-Fertilisers project- Press Mud is a by-product in the production of sugar. It contains a high percentage of organic Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potassium. Organic Bio-fertiliser is produced from this press mud as wellas spent waste produced in the production of ethanol and alcohol. These fertilisers have proved to be immensely useful in preserving the soil. This fertiliser is sold to the cane producing farmers on a no profit no loss basis.

The PURTI GROUP produced a Bio-Methane Gas Project, worth Rs. 5 crore, is a singular example of Non-Conventional Energy production. The molasses produced in the sugar factory during production is used to produce Ethanol & Alcohol. In this process a lot of spent waste is produced which, in turn, produces 23,000 N.M. cubic gas per day. This gas is used in the boiler as fuel. As this Industrial waste is used, it reduces the strength of the harmful spent waste reduced 80%. As it protects the environment, this industry gets carbon credit also. And not only that, the traditional fuel worth Rs. 1 crore needed for production of electricity every month is also saved. The company also has produced Ener Diesel by mixing Ethanol and Diesel. PURTI has successfully run all its vehicles on this fuel. This fuel saves both the environment as well as foreign exchange. PURTI is trying to get govt's approval for this project.

PURTI Power and Sugar Ltd. is the only institution to implement SOLAR FENCH in the country. This fencing is immensely useful in protecting the crops from wild animals and thieves. It is cheap yet very effective solution for protecting farm boundaries. The concept of the fence came from Shri Nitin Gadkarijee. The expenditure incurred in installing this solar fence is 50% less compared to the conventional fence. The media team also visiedt the project site of Yash Agro Energy Ltd. at Kolari in Chandrepur District. This project with an investment of Rs. 38 Crore primarily deals in sale and distribution of certified seeds and other agriculture products. It has a Non-Conventional Energy production unit based on rice husk and can produce 8 MW power. This is an important step in renewable energy. As it is based in a rice producing belt, it is providing the local farmers an opportunity to convert the waste rice husk into cash money.

On the last day of the Media tour, the team visited to PURTI Super Bazaar and interacedt with the Directors. PURTI Super Bazaar, a famous as leading Super Bazaar of Vidarbha. The concept behind its opening is to create a buyer's market in place of a seller's market. It also aims to create employment and promotion of cottage industries. The idea of selling at a price lower than the MRP was a unique one introduced by PURTI. In keeping with its social commitment, PURTI Super Bazaar has always encouraged cottage industries to create employment. Quick and prompt service, purity of produce and economic prices have been the hallmarks of PURTI. It also provides expertise to others desiring to start such super bazaars. This super bazaar is run by the Central India Central Multipurpose Co-operative Society Ltd. Nagpur, which has 2000 share holders.

Indeed, PURTI GROUP is a journey through progress and commitment towards achieving village development and towards national development.

Lastly, the media team reached the residence of Shri Nitin Gadkarijee at Wada Mahal, Nagpur. An interaction programme was organised there. Interacting with the media team. Nitinjee said that BJP will continue to work in North East States irrespective of poll results like last State assembly Election of Manipur. BJP wants to show the people of the NE Region that there is no discrimination in respect of differences radial in the policy plans to bring socio-economic upliftment in the society. Shri Tapir Gao, National General Secretary, BJP and Shri Sunil Deodhar, National Convenor NE Sampadk Cell, BJP also accompanied with the Media team.

Laimayum Bashanta Sharma
Staff Correspondent, Pioneer, New Delhi