PDS sugar at Rs 20: stock shortage sours plan

The much hyped scheme of distributing 2 kg sugar per ration card holder is not seeing enough stock coming through the Public Distribution System (PDS). November saw a shortage and this is likely to continue in December as there is hardly any stock for distribution among the 9.2 lakh ration card holders in the city. “The scheme is valid till December but we are not getting enough stock. We are not sure about December,” said Pradeep Patil,district supply officer. Under the PDS,the district needs 16,500 quintals of sugar a month. November saw only 12,000 quintals coming in.

Officials said sugar factories were not passing the stock onto the PDS system as they were getting better value from other grocery shops. The scheme entails the government buying sugar at Rs 30 per kg from mills and selling it at Rs 20 per kg for all the ration card holders with the government bearing the expense of Rs 10 per kg.

The ongoing imbroglio over which department would bear the expenses was cleared by Cooperatives Minister Harshvardhan Patil on Friday with the Food Distribution and Civil Supplies Department being asked to pay the differences to the sugar mill owners.

“This should solve the confusion about who would bear the charges. They would be paid the balance amount by the respective regional officers of the department,” said Patil. However,with the sugar mill owners getting Rs 32-33 from other shops,they are not willing to give their stocks to the PDS,an official pointed out.

Meanwhile,the government in its effort to make Pune a kerosene free city will be issuing smart cards to all ration card-holders. There are a total of 8 lakh saffron card holders,60,000 white card holders and 60,000 yellow card holders.