Cabinet allows states to levy stock limits on sugar

The states will now be able to impose stock limits on sugar to tame rising prices. The decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet on Wednesday.

"The Union Cabinet has given its approval to bring sugar under the purview of imposing stock holding limits on dealers of sugar, keeping in view the recent upward trend in sugar prices," an official statement said.

The government has noticed that in spite of sufficient availability of sugar stocks with the sugar mills, the wholesale and retail prices have shown a spurt.

The government has taken stock of the availability of sugar and different factors contributing to rise in market prices of sugar across the country.

In order to check the inflationary tendencies in sugar and to reduce hoarding by wholesalers and retailers, the government felt an immediate need to bring sugar within the purview of stock limits.

The decision will empower state and central agencies to impose stock limits and regulate supply, distribution, storage and trade of sugar to bring down sugar prices at reasonable level by curbing unscrupulous trading, the statement added.
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