Patna: The government of Bihar has accelerated preparations to operationalise 34 sugar mills as part of an ambitious plan to boost rural industry and generate up to 10 million jobs. The state’s sugarcane industry department has begun steps to significantly expand sugarcane cultivation to ensure a steady supply of raw material for both revived and newly proposed mills.
Under the plan, nine closed sugar mills are set to be restarted, while 25 new mills will be established across the state. Officials say sugarcane cultivation will be expanded by 5,000 hectares in each of the identified districts to support the additional crushing capacity. The move is designed to ensure adequate cane supply for existing mills as well as the new units.
The government is preparing to increase the total area under sugarcane cultivation by nearly 1.75 lakh hectares. At present, sugarcane is grown on around 2.50 lakh hectares in the state. The expansion forms part of the “Saat Nischay-3” programme, which aims to strengthen infrastructure, employment and industrial growth.
District-level authorities have been directed to submit detailed action plans to meet cultivation targets. Letters have been sent to assistant directors in Bagaha, Bettiah, Motihari, Samastipur, Sitamarhi and Siwan, as well as to general managers of sugar mills, asking them to expedite planning.
In parallel, district magistrates in 25 districts have been instructed to identify land for the proposed mills. Each unit will require around 100 acres, and officials say land has already been identified in most locations.
The process of reserving villages for cane supply has also begun. For the Sakri mill, 686 villages in blocks across Madhubani district have been included. In Darbhanga, 580 villages across multiple blocks have been identified, while a further 580 villages have been earmarked for the Raiyam mill. Additionally, 438 villages in Madhubani district have been marked to support expanded operations.
Officials say the coordinated push — from land acquisition to cultivation expansion — is intended to revive Bihar’s sugar industry and create large-scale employment in rural areas.
