Mandya: The famed MySugar factory at Mandya, the only Government-run Sugar factory in the State, re-started on Thursday after a four year gap, with District In-charge Minister K. Gopalaiah lighting the factory boiler in the presence of Minister K.C. Narayanagowda, MLA M. Srinivas and other elected representatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Gopalaiah said that following the demand of farmer leaders, elected representatives and the local population, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai decided to run the factory under Government control.

Pointing out that the boiler has been fired after the performance of rituals and other puja, he said that CM Bommai will formally launch the sugarcane crushing operations in a fortnight. With the re-start of the factory, the aspiration of lakhs of farmers of the region has been fulfilled, he added.

Minister K.C. Narayanagowda, who represents K.R. Pet Assembly segment of Mandya district, said that the two previous non-BJP Governments did not do anything for the re-start of the prestigious MySugar factory. But Yediyurappa, after taking over as the Chief Minister in 2019, made a lot of efforts for the re-start of the factory, which has bore fruit now, he said adding that measures have been taken for operating the factory under State control. He sought the co-operation of all stakeholders for ensuring smooth running of the factory.

MP Sumalatha Ambarish, former MLC K.T. Srikantegowda, District BJP President C.P. Umesh, District Congress President C.D. Gangadhar, Mandya DC S. Aswathi, former MySugar Chairman Shivalingegowda, Factory MD Appasaheb Patil, General Manager B.C. Shivanandamurthy, farmer leaders Sunanda Jayaram, Venugopal, Krishna and others were present.

However, barring Mandya MLA M. Srinivas, all the five other JD(S) MLAs of the district — C.S. Puttaraju, K. Sureshgowda, Ravindra Srikantaiah, K. Annadani and D.C. Thammanna were absent.