Govt may step in to check sugar prices

The Delhi government will write to the Centre for a special quota of sugar if prices do not stabilise within the next two days.

The Delhi government will write to the Centre for a special quota of sugar if prices do not stabilise within the next two days.

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The government hopes to notch down prices by at least Rs 5 to Rs 6 if the special quota is released.

This sugar at subsidised rates would be distributed through the Mother Dairy and Kendriya Bhandar chains.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit held an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation with sugar rates touching Rs 50 a kg in the open market.

The Delhi government had asked the Centre for a special quota of sugar twice in the past but was denied the same.

"We are a non-producing (sugar) state. We need extra supply at subsidised rates to bring down prices," said a Delhi food and civil supplies official.

The government had been trying to tackle the problem of black-marketing and hoarding by tying up with retail outlets in the city. "We will meet on Friday to decide how much sugar we require to control prices," the official said.