Tamil Nadu

Sugar mills to be computerised soon

SALEM: The State Government has embarked on an ambitious mission to introduce computerised cane management system in the public sector and co-operative sugar mills.

The system to be introduced in the State is to improve field and factory level operations and ensure transparency.

Simputers, a specialised handheld computing device, are being introduced as part of the system.

Four sugar factories in the State - Cheyyar, Perambalur, Vellore and Tiruttani - have already received the devices and started using them.

The remaining 13 public sector/co-operative sugar factories will get the equipment within three to four months, officials say.

The new system will ensure transparency, real time data capture, monitor and control pest and diseases, supply of credit, agricultural inputs and technology transfer to farmers.

Sugarcane growers will get necessary information at the click of a mouse.

Cane assistants will be given the device for real time data entry.

The data from the simputers will be fed into the computers at the divisional offices.

Later the information will be made available to the farmers via internet.

Sugar Commissioner Atulya Misra, who was here recently to participate in a meeting, said the government had allotted sufficient funds for execution of the computerised cane management system.

Once implemented in all the mills, it would eliminate the problems in cane cutting order priority and ensure greater transparency in the administration of mills, Mr. Misra said.

The devices were being procured from Bharat Electronics Limited.

All the public sector and co-operative sugar factories would be brought under the system within three to four months, he added.

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