The Union Environment Ministry flouted its own guidelines to clear the expansion of a Rs 149-crore distillery that has, on its board, Shailesh Patil, the son of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, and his wife Archana Patil. A floundering sugar cooperative in Maharashtra waits for similar luck.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Shailesh Patil had said that he is a “businessman” in his own right and runs a sugar co-operative in Maharashtra. What he failed to add is that he is not officially associated with the factory in question — the Jai Jawan Jai Kisan co-operative sugar mill in the family’s home district of Latur, which also used to be Shivraj Patil’s parliamentary constituency. But that is just for the record.

For practically all purposes, Shailesh Patil is the chief patron, guide and lobbyist since early 2004 for the factory which is steeped in losses and debt, fighting hundreds of legal battles and is struggling to survive even as it makes grand expansion plans.

The annual report of the factory describes him as a “young leader” who is the “margdarshak” or guide and whose picture is printed ahead of that of the chairman.

Factory officials and union leaders said that at present, his “connections” are badly needed in key areas which could help bail out the factory: secure a Rs 7-crore loan for modernisation, get permissions to set up a distillery to use the molasses and to generate about 3 MW of power on the premises.

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