Mandya: Maintaining that the State-run MySugar factory will resume operations from July last week, Factory Managing Director Patil Appa Saheb said that repair and replacement of machineries is going on at a brisk pace.

Addressing a meeting with various organisations here on Thursday, Appa Saheb said that the Government has sanctioned Rs. 15 crore for the purpose, out of which Rs. 3.5 crore has already been released, while the Government has been appealed to immediately release rest of the money.

Pointing out that it has been planned to crush 5 lakh tonnes of sugarcane this season, he said that the factory has entered into an agreement on procurement of 1.5 lakh tonnes from farmers. Noting that the factory would crush 4,500 tonnes of sugarcane everyday, he said that crushing will go on till                   February next year.

Stating that repair of machinery is being done by Pune and Hyderabad based companies, Appa Saheb said that 100 out of 200 workers from the two companies are already on the job and the rest 100 of them are expected to arrive shortly.

Continuing, he said that out of Rs. 50 crore grant announced by the Government, Rs. 3.9 crore will be spent for clearing wage dues of VRS (voluntary retirement) employees while the rest of the grants will be utilised for starting the factory.

The farmers are themselves coming forward for supplying cane to the factory, he added.

MySugar Cane Suppliers Association President S. Krishna, former Zilla Panchayat (ZP) President Venkatesh, farmer leader Muddegowda, Kannada Sene leader Manjunath, CITU leader C. Kumari, DSS leader M.V. Krishna, leaders T.L. Krishnegowda, T. Yashwanth, Puttamadu and others were present.