Cong won’t allow sugar decontrol

The state unit of Congress on Monday opposed any move to decontrol sugar saying it will leave the government with no power to check the price and availability since the control will completely go to traders and hoarders.

“The representatives of sugar industry have demanded that sugar should be decontrolled and the Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sharad Pawar has assured to look into the demand,” state Congress spokesperson Kanhaiyalal Gidwani said at a press conference.

Gidwani said the industry has time and again been making efforts to decontrol the essential commodity. “The industry had demanded the same in 2008 and the cabinet had deferred the decision after it was brought to its notice that it will have adverse effects on farmers and consumers,” Gidwani said.

About 70 per cent of the mills are run by private organisations while the rest are by cooperatives, he said adding it has been seen that some of the industry players have been in nexus with hoarders and traders.

“This nexus has been inflating sugar prices in open market despite the existence of a law to control it. If the sugar is decontrolled, then the price will go as high as Rs 60 per kg,” said Gidwani. The farmers will not gain anything and the consumers would also suffer, he said.

To ensure increase in production, Gidwani said, the government should encourage cultivation of sugarcane and support them by announcing at least 30 per cent increase in minimum price as this will help the country to become self reliant and also allow export in future.

source: indianexpress