Central subsidy on sugar to go, says Bali

Tribune News Service

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Dharamsala, March 24

Sugar is likely to get bitter for the common people. The Union government has decided to do away with subsidy on sugar being supplied through the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the entire country from April 1. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Transport and Technical Education GS Bali said this while addressing a press conference here today.

He said that the presently the Himachal government was supplying sugar to the residents of the state at subsidised rates of Rs 15 per kg in PDS shops. The market rate of sugar was hovering around Rs 40 per kg. The Union government was providing subsidy to the state to provide sugar at rates of Rs 32 per kg in PDS shops. The rest of the burden of subsidy was borne by the state government. However, now the Union government had decided to do away with the subsidy on sugar. To provide sugar at the same rates to the residents of the state, the state government would have to make an additional financial provision of Rs 15 crores per month, the minister said.

He said he would write to the Union Minister for Finance and Food and Civil Supplies to consider Himachal as a special category state and continue providing sugar at subsidised rates to its residents. “I would also take up the matter with the CM to make an additional provision of Rs 15 crores for providing sugar at same rates to state residents. For the time being the food and civil supplies department has decided to continue providing sugar at same rates at PDS shops”, he said. The minister said digital ration cards would be implemented in four districts —Kangra, Shimla, Sirmaur and Kinnaur — from April. About 7 lakh ration cards out of the total 16 lakh cards in the state would be converted digitised in the month April.