NEW DELHI, AUGUST 21 — Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal criticized central policy decisions on Thursday, attributing a sharp rise in domestic sugar prices to the widespread diversion of sugarcane for ethanol blending in petrol.
Addressing the public in a video message, the AAP leader stated that domestic sugar rates escalated by ₹20 per kilogram within 17 days, surging from ₹46 to ₹65 per kilogram due to market shortages.
According to the AAP Chief, the federal initiative aimed at saving foreign currency on crude oil imports by manufacturing ethanol has backfired. He asserted that the resulting domestic shortage is now forcing the administration to expend foreign exchange reserves on importing sugar instead.
“Our country used to export sugar, but now it is planning to import it,” declared AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal during his address. He questioned the foresight of policymakers, arguing that officials failed to evaluate the consequences of large-scale sugarcane diversion on domestic food supply.
In his statement, the former Delhi Chief Minister also maintained that ethanol-blended fuel is reducing vehicle performance and mileage, leaving citizens burdened by both higher essential commodity prices and vehicle upkeep costs.
Details regarding current domestic commodity rates, policy directives, and economic metrics are published on the official Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution platform.
