With the monsoon approaching, the Food Ministry has asked the Railways to double the number of wagons available for transportation of 8.5 lakh tonnes of imported sugar lying at ports.
The Food Department has written to the Railways to allot six rakes to lift imported sugar lying at ports, sources said. At present, only three rakes have been provided to lift sugar from ports. One rake can carry 2,500 tonnes of sugar.
The ministry has asked the Railways to lift the imported sugar stocks expeditiously in view of the monsoon rains, which could hamper the transportation of the sweetener to factories and might also damage the quality while loading and unloading.
Presently, about 7 lakh tonnes of raw sugar and 1.5 lakh tonnes of white sugar is lying at the Kandla and Mundra ports, sources said, adding that much of the imported sugar is for mills located in Uttar Pradesh.
According to official data, the country had imported 27.09 lakh tonnes of raw and 8.5 lakh tonnes of white sugar till April of the current crop year(October-September).
The government has allowed duty-free import of sugar since early last year to augment domestic supplies and curb prices.
