Huge stock of sugar recovered in raid at Ghaziabad mill

GHAZIABAD - The Ghaziabad district administration Monday seized a huge stock of sugar and raw sugar, to be allegedly used for sale in the black market, from a subsidiary unit of Simbhaoli Sugar Mills, a top official said.

District Magistrate R. Ramesh Kumar said a team of district administration and cane department officials found serious irregularities in addition to the huge stock of about 121,000 quintals of sugar and 76,000 quintals or raw sugar at the company storehouse.

Hapur sub-divisional magistrate Rajeswar Singh told IANS that according to the mill records, the stock was 189,000 quintals but on physical verification the team found the stock to be 369,000 quintals.

“In addition to this serious lapse of tax evasion and hoarding, 76,000 quintals of raw sugar were also found in the godowns of the sugar mill. The possession and marketing of raw sugar is banned at present but the mill kept the raw sugar in its godowns for black marketing purpose. The mill was also found to be using old gunny bags to keep the new sugar, in order to show the new stock as old,” he said.

The district magistrate said that the mill was also violating area norms, wooing farmers from other mills’ area in Bulandshahr district by paying Rs.260 per quintal to the farmers. Through this, the sugarcane mafia also started operating, helping the mill to get cane. They paid farmers Rs. 240 per quintal and kept Rs.20 per quintal for themselves.

He said a criminal case would be initiated against the promoters of the mill and the law department is studying the case.