CPI(M) blames ethanol policy for sugar price rise, says Raksha Bandhan will be "less sweet"
The CPI(M) on Sunday hit out at the BJP-led central government, claiming that diverting sugarcane for ethanol production has driven up sugar prices and will make the upcoming Raksha Bandhan festival "less sweet" for the public.
Opposition parties have been targeting the Centre over increased ethanol blending in petrol, alleging that the policy was pushing up sugar prices and imposing an additional financial burden on people.
The government has rejected the claims and instead blamed the industry for jacking up prices despite the country having sufficient stock to meet domestic demand.
The price of sugar in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal has shot up to Rs 70 per kg from Rs 65 a week ago, according to grocery shop owners.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded that the government roll back the sugar prices.
Madhya Pradesh CPI (M) secretary Jaswinder Singh, in a statement, alleged that the government was more concerned about protecting the interests of corporate houses and ethanol producers than consumers.
Warnings had been raised about the consequences of diverting sugarcane for ethanol production, but the government continued to promote ethanol, he said. Nearly 25 lakh tonnes of sugarcane had been diverted for ethanol production, contributing to the shortage of sugar and the rise in its prices, Singh claimed.
"The government is still not ready to explain the reason behind this sudden increase in sugar prices. This is bound to make the Raksha Bandhan festival (to be celebrated on August 28) less sweet," he added. The government was now considering sugar imports but was not talking about restricting the diversion of sugarcane for ethanol production, Singh charged.
Even if the import process began immediately, it could take more than two months for sugar to reach India, which could also affect prices during Diwali, he claimed. The government's policies were aimed at protecting the profits of ethanol producers while ordinary consumers faced rising prices, Singh alleged.
