Patna: The Bihar government has signed an agreement with Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) to set up and operate sugar mills at Sakri in Madhubani district and Raiyam in Darbhanga district, Cooperative Minister Ram Kripal Yadav said on Wednesday.
The projects are part of the state government’s “Samriddh Udyog-Sashakt Bihar” initiative under the Saat Nischay-3 programme. Yadav said the government expects the mills to support sugarcane farmers, increase local employment and contribute to the rural economy.
Distilleries And CBG Units Also Planned
According to the minister, both sugar mills will have associated distilleries, cogeneration power plants and Compressed Biogas (CBG) units.
Yadav said the state government is working to revive closed sugar mills across Bihar and that the cabinet has already approved the broader revival plan.
He said production at the Sakri and Raiyam facilities would begin within a specified timeframe following the agreement with IPL.
Bihar State Cooperative Policy 2026
The minister also outlined the Bihar State Cooperative Policy 2026, which aims to modernise the cooperative sector and expand its role in the state’s rural economy.
According to the department, the policy is intended to connect farmers, women, young people, entrepreneurs and disadvantaged communities with cooperative institutions while creating opportunities for self-employment and collective economic activity.
350 Vegetable Collection Centres Planned
Under the Bihar State Vegetable Processing and Marketing Scheme, the Cooperative Department has set a target of establishing 350 panchayat-level vegetable collection centres and 50 block-level infrastructure facilities.
Primary Vegetable Producer Cooperative Societies (PVCSs) have been established in all 534 blocks of Bihar, according to the department.
Each PVCS will receive Rs 2 lakh as working capital, while nine vegetable federations will receive Rs 10 lakh each.
The department has approved schemes worth Rs 106.39 crore for vegetable collection infrastructure, transportation and marketing facilities.
Vegetable Booths Planned Across Bihar
Yadav said the department plans to establish vegetable booths through VegFed on lines similar to Sudha Dairy booths.
The stated objective is to improve market access for vegetable farmers while creating local employment opportunities.
Crop Insurance To Begin From Rabi Season
The state has approved implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana from the Rabi season of financial year 2026-27.
Under the scheme, farmers will be eligible for compensation linked to their agricultural costs, while farmers will pay only a portion of the insurance premium. The state and central governments will contribute their respective shares.
36.79 Lakh Metric Tonnes Of Paddy Procured
The Cooperative Department said 36.79 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured from 5.40 lakh farmers through 6,902 cooperative societies during Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26.
The procurement target was 36.85 lakh metric tonnes. Of the rice generated from the procured paddy, 24.57 lakh metric tonnes, or 98.47%, has been supplied to the State Food Corporation, according to the department.
The department also said 7,452 warehouses have been completed through cooperative societies, creating storage capacity of 18.827 lakh metric tonnes.
Rural Banking Services To Expand
Under the “Sahkarita Mein Sahkar” initiative, 186 dairy cooperative societies, 618 PACS, 19 PVCSs and seven other cooperative societies have been developed as Banking Correspondents.
The department said banking services are being expanded in rural areas through micro-ATMs.
A month-long campaign will begin on August 16 to facilitate bank account openings for members of dairy cooperatives, PACS, PVCSs and other cooperative organisations.
PACS Expand Into Digital And Pharmaceutical Services
Common Service Centres have been established in around 6,425 PACS, with the aim of providing nearly 300 types of services in rural areas.
Of these, 5,807 PACS are operational, and the department said PACS have conducted business worth more than Rs 8.81 crore so far.
Under the Jan Aushadhi Kendra scheme, 373 of 461 selected PACS have received approval to establish centres. The department said 37 PACS have obtained drug licences, 36 have received store codes and operations have started at 36 centres.
Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign
The Cooperative Department is also conducting the Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 campaign from August 9 to 17 as part of commemorations marking 150 years of Vande Mataram.
According to the department, activities include bike rallies, rangoli competitions, Tricolour selfie campaigns, cultural programmes and exhibitions.
The minister was accompanied by Cooperative Department Secretary Dharmendra Singh, Registrar of Cooperative Societies Rajnish Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary Abhay Kumar Singh and other officials.
