Bihar Minister’s remark on impact of sugar price rise invites criticism
‘Due to increasing cases of diabetic patients, people are not taking sweets. Everyone is suffering from diabetes. I don’t think the price rise of sugar will make much difference for people,’ says State Minister Shrawan Kumar
Bihar Cabinet Minister Shrawan Kumar has sparked controversy with his comments on the rising sugar prices across the country. Speaking to media on August 21, 2026, Kumar said, "Everyone has diabetes these days, so sugar price rise will not matter much." This remark has drawn criticism from Opposition parties and independent politicians.
The price of sugar has increased from ₹48-50 last week to ₹65-68 on Friday due to several factors, including heavy diversion of sugarcane towards ethanol-blending programme, tight domestic inventory buffer, and less mill releases. Kumar's comments drew criticism from Opposition parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal, who accused him of being insensitive to the concerns of common people.
Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan also slammed Kumar, saying, "The biggest 'diabetes' is the government itself." Meanwhile, Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha defended Kumar, saying he feels happy when the price of his farmers' produce increases. Sugarcane Industries Minister Sanjay Kumar Paswan, however, said, "Bihar has no dearth of sugar so there is no point of its price hike."
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