Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Sugar to cost this much in Rajasthan!

Sugar at Ration Shops: The last allocation of sugar in Rajasthan was in March 2021. Since then, there has been neither an order to discontinue the scheme nor any further allocation of sugar.

Udaipur•Jan 06, 2025 / 09:08 am•

Patrika Desk

The Department of Food and Civil Supplies in Rajasthan discontinued the supply of sugar to government ration shops four years ago without any order or notice. Despite demands from the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation in Rajasthan’s districts and hundreds of letters from the public to the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, the supply has not been resumed.

This has forced the common people to buy sugar at ₹42 instead of ₹18. Meanwhile, the sugar supply continues in many other states of the country. The last allocation of sugar in Rajasthan was in March 2021. Since then, neither has there been an order to discontinue the scheme nor has any sugar been allocated.

According to an order issued by the Department of Food and Civil Supplies on 31 March 2021, the sugar quota for the second and third quarters (July to December 2020) of the financial year 2020-21 was allocated to fair price shop dealers for distribution.

Forced to Buy Expensive Sugar

The order was to provide one kilogram of sugar per month to each family. The distribution to Antyodaya families through POS machines was also mentioned. As a result, urban and poor families are forced to buy expensive sugar.

Immediately after the last allocation, the sugar option was removed from the ration dealers’ POS machines. As a result, even the last allocated sugar did not reach the beneficiary families. In some places, half the sugar was distributed, while in others, it spoiled while lying with the dealers. There is no way to account for whether beneficiary families received the sugar or not.

Six Kilograms of Sugar Per Family

Under the scheme, each beneficiary family was to receive 6 kilograms of sugar until April 2021, at a rate of ₹18 per kilogram. Currently, the market price of sugar is around ₹42 per kilogram.

With no cheap sugar available for four years, beneficiary families are forced to buy sugar at almost two and a half times the price from the market. This has significantly impacted household budgets for four years.

Last Allocation in Rajasthan in 2021

Under the central government scheme, BPL and Antyodaya families received sugar. The allocation for BPL families has been stopped. There is no order to stop the supply of sugar to families, but allocation is not happening in Rajasthan. Sugar supply is continuing in some states, while in others, payments are being made. We cannot say anything about the allocation.

Anand Rathore, Manager, Food Supply Corporation

Cheap sugar, along with cheap grains, is a necessity for the common citizen. The families who were previously beneficiaries of this scheme should be provided with sugar again.