A bill that provides for increase in sugar cess ceiling from Rs.25 to Rs.200 per quintal was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The bill, amending the Sugar Cess Act, 1982 which enables the central government to levy and collect cess as a duty of excise for the purpose of Sugar Development Fund (SDF), was passed by a voice vote after Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's reply on the debate.
The minister said an enhancement in rate of cess has been necessitated to meet the increasing liabilities and finance interventions to ensure timely payments of cane dues to farmers, and the bill increases the present ceiling of cess from Rs.25 to Rs.200 per quintal of sugar.
