MUMBAI: NDA ally Shiv Sena on Thursday demanded that the Centre should fix different rates for sugar for domestic and commercial consumption along the lines of the LPG prices.
The party has also requested Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to “convince” the Union government of the need to implement the idea.
The party is also planning to meet leaders from other states to take the idea forward.
State Industries Minister Subhash Desai of the Shiv Sena confirmed the party’s plan. “The sugar prices are coming down drastically. On the contrary, its production cost is increasing day by day. If we want to save the sugar mills, the sugar prices should be more than its production value. Of course, we can’t burden the domestic consumers by hiking price but if the price for commercial use is hiked the loss will be recovered,” he told Express.
He argued that even if sweets and jams will get costlier, the consumers will not complain because they will get sugar for domestic use at cheaper rates. At present, sugar is being sold at Rs 25 per kg in Mumbai.
The Sena proposal came on a day its chief Uddhav Thackeray sought to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he could not take people for a ride.
“Even 50 years will fall short of removing the dirt of the past 50 years. But a lot can be done in five years. Make efforts to protect the sentiments of the people,” Thackeray stated in an interview to party mouthpiece Saamana on Thursday.