The state government’s largest sugar seizure — 2 lakh quintals — will be sold in the open market after all. In an interim order passed on Friday, the Bombay high court directed 61 traders whose sugar consignments had been confiscated by the state government in July last year, to furnish a bank guarantee worth the cost of their sugar consignment lying in the government’s warehouses, at the rate of Rs13 per kg.
The additional collector in Kolhapur had seized the sugar in July last year on the grounds that it was being hoarded for over 30 days by the traders, which is not permissible under the law. Some sugar was seized on the grounds that the traders did not have necessary permission to sell the sugar outside Maharashtra. The government has seized the sugar alleging violations of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
In a large group of petitions clubbed together, the government had filed 88 revision applications and two writ petitions against the sessions court order that had allowed the release of the sugar of some traders. This sugar will now have to be released without any conditions. Passing the interim order on Friday, the court adjourned the case till April 19.
Comments