Sugar Licence and Trade Control order amended

Stock limit for wholesalers 2000 quintals

Bhopal:Sunday, October 18, 2009:Updated 19:00IST The state government has amended Madhya Pradesh Sugar Trade Order 2009. Recently, the sugar traders of Madhya Pradesh had called on Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Minister of State for Civil Supplies Shri Paras Chand Jain and had urged them to remove practical problems being faced by them.
They were given the assurance of appropriate action in this connection. However, the government had made it clear that Sugar Licence and Control Order will remain in force in Madhya Pradesh. The government does not intend to harass traders but the campaign against hoarding, black marketing and profiteering will continue.
As per the latest amendment, a new definition of wholesale consumer has been given. Now it will mean that person, establishment or industrial unit who uses or consumes 10 quintals of raw material or more per month.
The Sugar Licence and Control Order will remain in force on such entities. However, it will not be applicable on any institution, hospital, working women's hostel and educational institution run by central and state governments, local bodies and registered trust.
Similarly, a retailer has been redefined as the person, partnership firm, society, corporation or registered body which is engaged in the trade or sale or storage of less than 20 quintals of sugar at a time.
As per the latest amendment, a licensee wholesaler will not be allowed to store sugar for more than 45 days. He will also be not allowed to store more than 2000 quintals of sugar at a time. It has also been made clear that such sugar will be stocked in the licensee premises.
Prior permission will have to be taken from the competent authority before shifting the place of stock. The wholesalers will also have to maintain a register of daily stock position, purchase and sale.
Transit period
The amendment gives permission to stock sugar for seven days at a place for the purpose of transportation. However, the transporter will have to maintain a register showing entries of receipt and dispatch of sugar and concerning trader's licence number.
It will be duty of the licensee trader to give prior intimation to the collector of the district from where licence has been obtained and the collector of the district where the sugar is being transported.
Such a stock will be construed as legal and will be counted in the declared maximum storage limit. The wholesale consumers will not be allowed to stock sugar for their own consumption for more than 15 days.
All the district collectors have been intimated about the amendment.