Sugar Crisis Before Festive Season: Kharge Challenges Centre’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Claim

Kharge Targets Centre Over Rising Sugar Prices, Low Stocks

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has launched a sharp attack on the Centre over rising sugar prices and declining domestic stocks, questioning the government’s claim of building an “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

In a post on X on Saturday, Kharge questioned how India, one of the world’s major sugar producers and exporters, reached a situation where sugar stocks reportedly fell to a nine-year low, exports were halted and the government allowed duty-free imports of one million tonnes of sugar.

Kharge also claimed that sugar prices had risen by nearly 40 per cent in three months, asking who was responsible for the burden on consumers ahead of the festive season.

He further questioned the Centre’s ethanol policy, asking why the diversion of sugarcane and other feedstock for ethanol production under the E20 blending programme was not being reviewed amid concerns over domestic sugar availability.

The government, however, has rejected the claim that ethanol diversion is responsible for the recent price rise. The Consumer Affairs Ministry said retail sugar prices increased from ₹48.18 per kg on July 20 to ₹55.70 per kg on August 20 due to multiple factors. It said the share of sugar diverted for ethanol had actually declined, while nearly three-fourths of ethanol production now comes from grains, particularly maize.

The government has also cited lower-than-expected sugar production, festive demand and weather-related damage to sugarcane crops as factors behind the supply pressure.