Over 2,000 acres of Baghlan Sugar Factory land grabbed

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): The government has taken no step to reclaim about 2,000 acres grabbed of land belonging to the Baghlan Sugar Factory, official in the Northern Province said on Monday.

Eng. Ghulam Sakhi, acting head of the factory, told Pajhwok Afghan News formal letters had been dispatched to the police headquarters and the governor’s office requesting the retaking of the land had not been heeded.

“The factory bought 3,500 tonnes of sugar beets this year, with one tonne accounting for 2,500 afghanis. To crush this beet stock, the factory will run only for a month,” he said.

Sakhi believed the factory would remain functional all year round if more than 2,000 acres of its grabbed land in Baghlan-i-Markazi and Dand-i-Ghori districts was  wrested back from powerful individuals.

Arbab Faramoz, and elder from Baghlan-i-Markazi, accused the government of failing to take appropriate measures to strengthen the mills. “Over 1,000 workers and 2,000 farmers were engaged with the factory when it began operations. Today, only 200 workers and 100 farmers are associated with it.”

But Gauhar Khan Babari, the administrative chief for Baghlan-i-Markazi district, said the town was highly important for the Taliban, who tried in vain to overrun the district. Areas of Baghlan-i-Markazi where the factory landhas been grabbed are insecure.

Abdul Qadeem Niazi, deputy governor, confirmed the land-grab in areas where militants had a strong presence.He said the issue had been discussed with security officials. A clearing operation would purge the areas of insurgents, he said.

The factory was established back in 1941 with the help of Germany. It is the only sugar-producing factory in the country, which remained functional until 1992. However, it had since been closed because of the protracted civil war and clashes.

In 2007, the factory was rehabilitated with the assistance of Germany. But now it has been functioning occasionally to produce sugar -- a commodity that Afghanistan imports from neighbouring countries.

nh/mud