Rising sugar prices has called for politcial blame game between Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.
Pawar has blamed the Uttar Pradesh government for not cooperating with the Centre in controlling sugar prices.
However, Mayawati-led UP government had earlier blamed Pawar for the rise in sugar prices.
Meanwhile, the government on Monday said it may extend the white sugar import window up to December 2010 to help increase availability and contain prices of the sweetener, whose retail rate is rallying closer to Rs 50 a kg in Delhi.
"Our recommendation to the Cabinet Committee on Prices will be to extend the import window up to December 2010 on par with raw sugar," Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Monday.
The Ministry is also considering relaxing import conditions to allow millers of Uttar Pradesh to refine imported raw sugar in other states as the UP government had in early November banned its transportation and processing, Pawar said.
In the last 20 days, ministry officials have held at least two rounds of meeting with importers to remove hurdles in imports, if any. Sugar prices have increased by Rs 6 to Rs 45 a kg in Delhi since the beginning of the new year due to fall in output.
{{/usCountry}}In the last 20 days, ministry officials have held at least two rounds of meeting with importers to remove hurdles in imports, if any. Sugar prices have increased by Rs 6 to Rs 45 a kg in Delhi since the beginning of the new year due to fall in output.
{{/usCountry}}(With PTI inputs)