The state, which will be presenting its stand to the Dr Rangarajan Committee appointed by the Centre, on issues related to the sugar industry, is keen on putting across several demands of the industry to the Union.
One of the key issues that will figure in the state’s presentation would be asking the Centre to buy sugar from the open market for sale under the public distribution system (PDS).
Under the present system, every industry has to pay 10 per cent of its annual produce as levy to the government for disbursement under the PDS. “In doing so, the government will release the industry from the onus of levy,” said state cooperation minister Harshavardhan Patil, adding that the idea is to help farmers get their due for their produce.
The other demand that has been put forth in the proposed amendments is to delete sugar from the Essential Commodity Act, as the nation has been producing more than the required quota of sugar in the last four to five seasons.
According to the sugar lobby, the situation would remain, at least for a few more years. Another reason why the sugar lobby wants sugar to be marked as a non-essential commodity is because almost 75 per cent of the sugar produce is used for industrial purpose.
Mr Patil after meeting with the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Sangh, representing 51 private and 119 cooperative sugar industries, said that the CM will be presenting the issues of the sugar lobby before the committee on June 14. These issues will be in line with the points raised by the Sangh. The state, which has been contributing as much as 40 per cent of the national sugar produce wants a long-term sugar policy to be implemented.
“The produce of sugarcane cannot be predicted by anyone and hence, if we opt for a policy for the next 10 years, it would be easy for producers to chalk out their own policy accordingly,” Mr Patil said.