Oil mills seek power subsidy on lines of textile industry

Nagpur: The Madhya Bharat Oil Mill Association has demanded power subsidy similar to that of textile mills. They also called for the timely disbursal of incentives and highlighted the ongoing acute manpower crisis in the industry as a consequence of populist schemes.
The demands were presented during the Oil Millers Conclave 2024 held here recently. Shankar Thakkar, national president, All India Edible Oil Manufacturers and Traders, and Bhavesh Shah, president, Vidarbha Cotton Association, inaugurated the event.
Vipin Agrawal, president, Madhya Bharat Oil Association, shed light on the association's needs, including GST, MSME, electricity subsidy, labour employment, and cotton seed production.The conclave focused on issues related to oil mills across the country. Agrawal informed that more than 400 miller representatives from eight states attended this conclave.
Agrawal demanded that the govt must provide an electricity subsidy of Rs 2 per unit, as is given to the textile sector. He also mentioned that the package scheme of incentives granted subsidies to MSME units is not being provided in time by the govt due to a lack of funds.
CA Manish Shah delivered a technical session on GST compliances and precautions. Avin Agrawal spoke about MSME disputes, while Ashish Chandarana delivered a lecture on energy challenges and incentives.
The association also demanded that the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange contract for cotton cake must be raised to 7% oil content from the existing 6%, and the contract time be reduced from six months to three months. The association also pointed out that various populist schemes are creating problems in mobilising labour for the industry.
Vinod Mutha, Radheshyam Suda, Tapesh Chandarana, Pratap Thakur, Amol Mutha, Govind Sarda, and other association members also touched upon core issues of the industry. "We are excited to host the Oil Millers Conclave 2024 and provide a platform for stakeholders to come together and address industry challenges," said Agrawal.