New Delhi, June 7: Government has decided to permit advance release of free-sale sugar by mills on a case-to-case basis to help them tide over financial difficulties and clear payment of arrears to cane growers."Government has permitted advance release of sugar under the free-sale quota by those mills hit by natural calamities or unavailability of sufficient bank credit," consumer affairs and public distribution minister Shanta Kumar told reporters.
The release of advance quotas would, however, be subject to paymenty of a voluntary levy of five per cent on their stocks, he said.
The move, though primarily aimed at helping millers, would also be beneficial to the government as the public distribution system would gain more sugar in the form of levy, he claimed.
Eligibility of mills for availing the advance release facility would be on the basis of recommendations of state governments and district magistrates.The minister clarified that the advance releases extended to mills would be adjusted against their free-sale quota for a given year.
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