MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a), (b), (c) & (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE STARRED QUESTION NO 164 DUE FOR
ANSWER ON 17.12.2013 IN THE LOK SABHA
(a) & (b): The Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 confers powers on the Central Government to
regulate distribution and movement of sugarcane. Sub-clause 1 of clause 6 provides that the
Central Government may by Order notified in the Official gazette reserve any area where sugarcane
is grown for a factory having regard to the crushing capacity of the factory, the availability of
sugarcane in the reserved area and the need for production of sugar, with a view to enabling the
factory to purchase the quantity of sugarcane required by it. The Central Government has delegated
the power of cane area reservations to the State Governments concerned vide notification dated 16th
July, 1966. The Cane Commissioners of major cane producing States have reported that the farmers in
their states are not suffering losses as a result of the cane area reservation system. In the state
of Maharashtra there is no cane area reservation system.
(C) & (d): The Dr. C. Rangarajan Committee has, inter-alia, recommended that the regulation
regarding cane area reservation and bonding may be dispensed with by States over the long run.
The Central Government has considered the recommendations of the Committee and advised the State
Governments for its adoption and implementation, as considered appropriate by them.
