Bihar minister downplays sugar price hike, cites widespread diabetes
Bihar's rural development minister Shrawan Kumar said rising sugar costs will have little effect because many people are already cutting sweets due to diabetes.
During a press briefing, Shrawan Kumar, the Bihar rural development department minister, claimed that the recent surge in sugar prices—now Rs 64 per kilogram, up Rs 16 in a week—will not significantly impact consumers because many are already limiting sugar intake due to increasing diabetes rates. The statement went viral on social media, drawing sharp rebuke from RJD state spokesman Ejaz Ahmad, who said the hike hurts ordinary people who start their day with tea and bread.
Ahmad blamed the central government's decision to allocate sugarcane for ethanol blending with petrol for the price pressure and mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's own tea-selling background. A local grocer, Vikas Kumar, corroborated the sugar price and added that onion prices have risen to Rs 48 per kilogram and could climb further after the upcoming Raksha Bandhan festival. The minister's comments highlight a tension between health concerns and cost of living issues in the state. Opposition criticism underscores political friction over central policy decisions affecting staple commodities.
Why it matters
The remarks reveal how health trends and commodity pricing intersect, influencing public perception and political debate in Bihar.
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