Govt to take call on total sugar decontrol report by December

07 Nov 2012 Evaluate

Food Minister, K V Thomas, is hopeful that the government, which is currently assessing the Rangarajan Committee report on sugar decontrol, would take a decision for removal of atleast some of the curbs on the sector by next month. Food Minister stated that Prime Minister Office (PMO) has sent the report on sugar decontrol, which Food Ministry is currently studying, the view of which would be taken by December.

Last month, the Rangarajan Committee floated a report recommending dispensing immediately with the levy sugar obligation and administrative control on non-levy sugar for the sector, which is still regulated, thereby moving it towards a new era called “reforms”. Further, apart from two key regulations with respect to fixing sugarcane price and sharing of 70 per cent revenue by sugar firms with farmers, the Rangarajan Committee’s report has pitched for giving freedom to mills to sell sugar in the open market and having a stable export and import policy among other recommendations.

It has recommended removal of obligation on part of mills to supply 10% of sugar at cheaper rate to the government to meet the ration shops demand. Further, the committee suggested the removal of the concept of a minimum distance of 15 km between any two sugar mills, obligating a mill to purchase cane from growers within the reservation area. Instead, mills must enter into pact with farmers.

However, the fate of the sector still remains hanging as the Rangarajan panel is not the first committee set up by the government to study reforms in the sugar industry, as recommendations of the Tuteja Committee and Thorat Committee have not yet been implemented.

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