Ban on sale of jaggery from MP not proper

Betul, MP, Dec 12 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh Government is planning to move the High Court over the ban imposed by the Maharashtra Government on sale of jaggery from Madhya Pradesh, Agriculture Minister Choudhary Chandrabhan Singh said today.

As a result, the sale of jaggery has taken a beating and was being sold at rock bottom prices causing anxiety to jaggery producers.

Mr Singh told UNI here that the decision to ban sale of jaggery from Madhya Pradesh was not proper at a time when the Centre was opening doors for international trade. The decision was aimed at profiting sugar industry in that state.

''The reason cited for not allowing the sale was that jaggery from Madhya Pradesh is black and red in colour but yellow jaggery from Uttar Pradesh and other states contains too much quantity of 'hydro' chemical,'' he claimed.

The Minister said liquor was manufactured from 'shira' extracted from sugar factories in Maharashtra and sale of jaggery from the state affected this business.

He alleged that the Congress-led Centre was harassing the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.

He said he had written to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, the Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in this regard but has received no reply.

The price of jaggery had fallen from Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,000 per quintal in a month.

UNI XC-PS 1640