Basically Cane-Sugar Industry in India was set-up by British companies which
were taken over by Indian Companies after independence. However PRAVARA was the
first fanners Co-op Cane Sugar Plant under aiges of Late Prof. Dhananjayrao
Gadgil which spread through-out Maharashtra and influenced other states also,
but plants were imported.
The British managed private sector plants taken-over by Indian Companies were
fortunate as preventive maintenance as well as emergency break-downs were
systemically and efficiently managed even by Indian Companies. That was not the
case of Farmers Co-op Cane Sugar Plants. The Co-op Sugar Plants were ordered on
turnkey basis but had no knowledge and experience, not a system of preventive
maintenance was evolved nor source of availability, quality standards were known
(1958 -1967).
Actually Co-op Cane Sugar Plants were fleeced By merchants / traders of Nagdevi
Street. Not only that but many unscrupulous merchants / traders and unscrupulous
managements of farmers Co-op Sugar Plants made it a source of making money and
acquiring political power. This what has doomed Agro Based Agricultural
Revolution in India including the biggest co-op Milk Federation of Gujarat.
'PATCO had two fronts to fight. To try to know
quality of rubber parts needed
and fight unscrupulous merchants / traders hand in glove with unscrupulous
managements of Co-op Sugar Plants.
However while
imagining 'PATCO' kept on supply and at the same time pioneer
Mr. Subhash Patil spent lot of time at B.M.A. plants at Sangli & Kolpewadi,
Krupps plant at Ichalkaranji and Warana, Late Shri. Bharat G. Doshi Chairman of
Walchandnagar Industries Ltd, was knowing spirits of Mr. Subhash Patil. He gave
all help including direct access to R & D,. Library and C.E.O. Mr. J. P.
Mukharjee who was a techno crats so "PATCO" could develop import substituted
functionally good and realiable maintenance rubber parts. Even today "PATCO" can
not be surpassed by any competitor as far as Quality Assurance based on Proven
Performance of "PATCO" supplies.
However even today majority of Cane Sugar Plants are IGNORANT OF RUBBERS AS
MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION and "PATCO" attends the problems faced. This is the
foundation of our QUALITY STANDARDS.
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