Keshavrao Sonawane

Dalda Factory was Asia's first oil mill set up on cooperative terms.[1] Keshavrao was very actively involved in the establishment of Dalda Factory in Latur District. Dalda was major produce of the Latur region, for Dalda British Government had laid railway lines to Latur.[17]

As a Co-operative minister of Maharashtra Keshavrao Sonawane created the draft of this Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) act for the welfare of farmers in Maharashtra.[5][18] Before passing this law, every market committee was having its own rules, this law made all market committees in Maharashtra to have single central administrative law under state control. Agricultural produce market committee (APMC) is a marketing board established by a state government in India.[19] APMC ensures that farmers are not exploited by any intermediaries like Dalals/Traders/commission agents who compel farmers to sell their produce at the farm gate for an extremely low price. This APMC act mandates that all food produce should first be brought to a market yard and then sold through auction.[19]

Dayanand Education society was established in the year 1961 in the month of May.[20] Earlier Latur was small town in the Osmanabad District.[20] Facilities for higher education were not available in the Latur so students were left with no option but going to cities like Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai and so on.[20]

Student from middle class and lower-middle-class families were not able to afford the costs of education and other costs arising from the needs to live in the cities like Mumbai, Pune etc.[20] Higher education was rather like a dream for students from poor families.[20] So to make the higher education facilities accessible to children of farmers, agricultural laborers, workers; the dignitaries and business people like Manikrao Sonavane (elder brother of Keshavrao Sonawane), Chandrashekhar Bajpai, Ramgopalji Rathi and Keshavraoji Sonawane established Dayanand Education Society in the May month of year 1961[21]

Manikraoji Sonavane, elder brother of Keshavrao and chairman of market committee, convinced the farmers of Latur to contribute to this cause.[20] Shri Keshavraoji Sonavane, Co-Operative Minister of the Maharashtra state, contributed to this cause by completing all required formal government procedures.[20]

This is the first co-operative sugar factory in Osmanabad and Latur District.[22][23] Formerly Latur was in Osmanabad District. Keshavraoji Sonavane brought this Sugar factory for Osmanabad and Latur District's farmers.[5] It was beginning of the co-operative movement in the sugar industry started by keshavraoji Sonavane. Terna sugar factory was registered in 1965 with production capacity of 1250 Tons of Cane per Day.[24] Currently terna has 3500 Tons of Cane per Day capacity.factory covers area of 3 talukas i.e. Osmanabad, Kallamb and Latur. This factory covers nearly 171 villages by area of operation.[24]

Keshavraoji Sonavane was instrumental in the setup of Latur District Central Cooperative Bank.[5] Latur DCC bank was developed during Keshavraoji's tenure in the government as Co-operative minister. Co-operative bank forms an integral part of banking system in India.[5] As this bank operates mainly for the benefit of rural area, particularly the agricultural sector and Cooperative Banks in general and District Central Cooperative Banks in particular have to play major role in the upliftment of Economy.[25] By creating Latur DCC bank Keshavrao made a very positive impact on agricultural sector and especially on the farmers of Latur and Osmanabad District.[5]

Keshavrao Sonavane was a life member of District Bar Association, Latur.[26] Vilasrao Deshmukh and Shivraj Patil were also life members of District Bar Association, Latur.[26] Keshavrao Sonawane was President of Latur Bar Association for year 1960.[27]