Govt merges directorates of sugar & edible oils

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy of minimum government, maximum governance, the Centre has merged the Directorate of Sugar and the Directorate of Edible Oils in the Food Ministry.
"It has been decided that Directorate of Sugar and Directorate of Vanaspati, Vegetable Oils and Fats, two attached offices under the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DOFPD) are merged into single entity with the approval of the competent authority," according to an order issued by the Food Ministry.
The new directorate, named as "Directorate of Sugar and Vegetable oils", with a staff strength of 75 will continue to function as repository of the sectoral information and implementation arm of the department's policy.

Stating that the decision was in line with the PM's policy of minimum government, maximum governance, a senior Food Ministry official said: "The two directorates will work towards maintaining the data related to sugar and edible oil sector in digital form and help in the policy formation."
The two departments were active during the pre-liberation period, when controls and curbs were order of the day. Now, the Directorate of Sugar does not have much work especially after the de-control of the sugar sector, the official said.
Similarly, the Directorate of Edible Oils has become obsolete after import and export of edible oils was brought under the Open General Licence (OGL) in 1992, the official added.