Maharashtra government to probe Rs 800-crore sugar sale scam

MUMBAI: Maharashtra government has decided to hand over the probe into the alleged Rs 800-crore sugar sale scam to the crime investigation department. The decision can have significant ramifications in about onethird parliamentary constituencies in the state where politics revolves around the cooperative sector.

“Considering the scale of this sale of sugar and the number of complaints that we are receiving from hundreds of people, we have decided to hand this over to the state crime investigation department,” Maharshtra Home Minister RR Patil said.

It is alleged that factories are buying sugar at a low price from the farmers and selling it at much higher prices outside the state without letting the farmers, who are shareholders in the cooperative, know about the profits. Social activist Anna Hazare has alleged that this sale resulted in a profit of Rs 800 crore to sugar factories that was not shared among members.

Labour minister and NCP leader Hasan Mushrif too had taken up the issue. “It amounts to cheating thousands of shareholders and this must be exposed. I welcome an inquiry into this scam,” Mushrif said.

Analysts said many leaders of the ruling coalition could feel the heat if the scam is fully probed.