Pre-festive crackdown: Maha launches statewide drive against illegal sugar hoarding

Mumbai, Aug 27 (IANS) In a direct strike against speculative trade and market manipulation, the Maharashtra Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection on Thursday issued a high-level Government Resolution (GR) mandating an aggressive enforcement drive against illegal sugar stocking across the state. ​

The state government’s crackdown comes as wholesale and retail sugar prices hit historic highs in August.

Unjustified ex-mill price hikes — driven by speculative trading, “paper trading” (transactions without physical stock movement), and inventory hoarding — have threatened to trigger severe food inflation ahead of India’s major festive season.

Acting on strict directives from the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Maharashtra has deployed specialised multi-agency task forces to break artificial supply bottlenecks and stabilise market rates through November 30, 2026.

The GR mandates joint inspections and strict monitoring of sugar stocks, sales, and transportation across the state.

Following guidelines set by the Union government, the state has outlined specific limits for traders, distributors, and bulk consumers to maintain market stability.

According to the GR, traders and distributors cannot hold sugar stocks exceeding 4,000 quintals (400 metric tonnes) at any single time or location, nor keep stock for longer than 30 days from the date of receipt.

Bulk consumers, especially industrial users or commercial entities, consuming more than 10 metric tonnes of sugar monthly as raw material or for production are prohibited from holding inventory exceeding a 15-day supply.

All sugar sellers and distributors must immediately register on the central Food Stock Monitoring Portal (https://foodstock.dfpd.gov.in/)(https://foodstock.dfpd.gov.in/) and update their inventory status every Friday.

The state government warned that non-registration, incomplete reporting, or misrepresentation will be treated as a severe irregularity, inviting strict penal action under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

To enforce compliance, special inspection teams have been deployed across districts from Thursday.

District teams will be led by the District Supply Officer (Chairperson), alongside the District Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, a representative from the Sugar Commissioner’s office, a Legal Metrology Inspector, and a Police Officer of Superintendent/Inspector rank.

The Maharashtra government has constituted specific inspection squads under the Controller of Rationing and Director of Civil Supplies for the Mumbai and Thane regions.

Inspection teams are authorised to conduct physical stock counts at registered premises and warehouses, cross-examine purchase invoices, gate passes, and GST returns (using Harmonised System of Nomenclature codes), and photograph discrepancies.

Any stock mismatch or violation of stock limits will be referred immediately to competent authorities for strict legal enforcement under the Essential Commodities Act.

–IANS

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