Govt lifts control over jaggery production

The government today decided to do away with the controls over manufacture of jaggery to promote small-scale industries in the sector, besides helping cane growers.

"The Union Cabinet gave its approval for dispensing with control over 'gur' (jaggery) and gave its approval for amending the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966," Information and Broadcasting Minister PR Dasmunshi told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

He said the amended order will be called Sugarcane (Control) Amendment Order, 2007. The new order would help sugarcane farmers to dispose of their cane at higher prices, he added.

According to a government official, the move is aimed at helping small-scale gur industries to grow. The present law restricts jaggery production by such industries to a certain limit.

"Since sugarcane supplies are in abundance, this will also help the cane farmers besides the gur industry," the official said. Other restrictions such as distance norms for setting up new jaggery units would also be removed, the official said.

Sugarcane farmers are already in trouble due to non- clearance of arrears, running into crores, from sugar mills.

According to the fourth advance estimate, sugarcane production is pegged at 345.31 million tonnes for 2006-07.

In the first advance estimate, the cane output was fixed at 283.1 million tons for 2006-07, which went up to 323 million tons in the third estimate.

Meanwhile, the government today cleared the Dredging Corporation of India's (DCI's) proposal to buy three dredgers from a Dutch company for Rs 1,087 crore. This would help meet the acute shortage of dredging capacity in the country.

Other Decisions

The Centre approved restructuring of the National Highways Authority of India. After the changes are implemented, the chairman will be selected by a Cabinet Secretary-headed committee. The tenure of the chairman would be at least three years, extendable up to five years. The authority would have 26 chief general managers over and above the existing 13 CGMs. It would get the power to engage outside experts.

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has lost the battle to make depiction of skull and cross-bones on all tobacco products mandatory with Cabinet today declaring it would be optional when Parliament amends Section 7(1) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply & Distribution) Act 2003.