Imphal, November 04 2017: In the face of the Central Government’s instruction to give subsidy on sugar only to AAY card holders, the State Government is unable to take any initiative about giving subsidy on sugar .
The State’s monthly quota of sugar was 1763 MT and it was distributed to public at subsidised rate .
Monthly sugar quotas of States and Union Territories were purchased by FCI and delivered to the respective destinations after the subsidy was paid by the Government of India .
However, as per a new policy of the Government of India, States and Union Territories are purchasing sugar from mills directly.
Subsidy given to the public on sugar is later reimbursed by the Central Government .
Now, the Central Government has directed all States and Union Territories to give subsidy on sugar only to AAY card holders .
The State’s total numbers of AAY households and priority households which are receiving NFSA rice are 62,869 and 19,19,229.As per the new instruction of the Government of India, the priority households numbering 19,19,229 would no longer get subsidy on sugar .
At the same time, the State Government has not yet taken up any initiative to give subsidy on sugar to the 62,869 AAY households, informed a source .
According to the new policy of the Government of India, each AAY household is entitled to just one Kg of subsidised sugar in a month.
Subsidy given on one Kg of sugar is Rs 18.50. Just around six truck loads of sugar would be required to distribute subsidised sugar to the 62,869 AAY households of the State in a month, informed the source .
As it would be highly problematic to procure just six truck loads of sugar in a month, the State Government has dropped the idea of providing subsidised sugar to public .
As such, all the people of the State including AAY households must purchase sugar from market at market rate .
Notably, one Kg of sugar now costs Rs 55 to Rs 60 at Imphal.
Source: The Sangai Express
