Manipur Government gears up to procure sugar
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 05, 2013: As directed by the Government of India, the Government of Manipur has initiated necessary steps to procure sugar from mills directly.

The State Government has already set aside Rs 10 crore for purchasing sugar from mills directly, informed a source.

Out of this amount, the cost of purchasing sugar would be deposited in the bank account of the sugar mills for every three months.

The Government would purchase sugar at Rs 35 per Kg from the mills and the same commodity would be distributed to public at the subsidised rate of Rs 13.50 per Kg under Public Distribution System (PDS).

The difference of Rs 21.50 per Kg would be borne by the Government of India.

For this, the State Government has already received a bill form from the Centre.

Most probably, the State Government may procure sugar from mills located in either Bihar or Maharastra.

Earlier, the State Government studied about selecting one or more transport agencies for shipping in sugar till Imphal.

But the idea was later dropped and the Government decided to make the sugar mills deliver sugar at Imphal directly because the Government thought that it would be more convenient if the mills deliver sugar at Imphal.

The process of shipping in sugar from mills directly may be started within a month, said the source.

For this, top officials of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department would be visiting some sugar mills to make the final deal.

Meanwhile, another source revealed that CAF&PD Department has certain misgivings whether it would be able to provide rice at Rs 3 per Kg to selected beneficiaries under the National Food Security Ordinance.

Nonetheless, the department is working hard to make rice available at Rs 5 per Kg under the same scheme, added the source.

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