The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Coop. sugar unit chief quits

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Coop. sugar unit chief quits

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, AUG. 31. The Chairman of the Anakapalle Cooperative Sugar Factory at Tummapala, Dantuluri Dileep Kumar, resigned on Tuesday along with three directors, stating that his wish to retain the factory in the cooperative sector had been fulfilled.

``With the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, announcing the Government's decision to continue all sugar factories in the cooperative sector and to increase the crushing capacity of the Tummapala factory from the existing 1,000 tonnes to 2,500 tonnes, I feel that it would be better to quit as Chairman to give a free hand to the Government to take steps to improve the factory,'' Mr. Dileep Kumar, who is also the District Congress Committee vice-president, told reporters at his residence at Tummapala.

He decided to quit because his aim had been achieved and not due to pressure being exerted by some people, Mr. Dileep Kumar said, recalling that the Tummapala factory, under his chairmanship, was the first sugar factory to move the High Court against the Telugu Desam Party Government's decision to privatise the factory. At two general body meetings, farmers and shareholders decided to continue the factory in the cooperative sector in spite of the TDP's efforts to influence them.

Capacity doubled

The factory had not been functioning for the last two years and would remain idle this year also. With its crushing capacity being more than doubled, it was necessary to increase the area under sugarcane to supply sufficient quantity of cane to the factory, Mr. Dileep Kumar felt and hoped that the "pro-farmer policies'' of Dr. Reddy would help the farmers in this regard.

It may be recalled that eight directors of the factory, all considered supporters of the Minister for Commercial Taxes, Konathala Ramakrishna, had resigned in April, just before the counting of votes for the Assembly and Parliament elections and also demanded that Mr. Dileep Kumar follow suit on the plea that the Government would have a free hand. Earlier two directors, one a TDP supporter and another a workmen's representative, had resigned.

The directors who resigned on Tuesday were Y. Lakshmana Rao, N. Arjuna and B. Venkataramana. They sent their letters of resignation to the Managing Director of the factory while Mr. Dileep Kumar sent his resignation to the Commissioner (Sugar).

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