The Union Government is understood to have decided to import sugar so as to increase the availability and check the rise in the prices of free sale sugar.

President Carter has set in motion procedures which should lead to the shipment of both enriched uranium consignments for Tarapur for which there are pending applications, American officials disclosed. Each application is for approximately 20 tonnes of enriched uranium which will meet the needs of one year’s fuel for Tarapur. While naturally hoping that India will eventually agree to full safeguards, officials also point out that there is a waiver provision in the law itself. Under this, even if India continues to refuse to accept the safeguards, the president of the United States can still sanction shipments even after the law goes into effect.

Sugar Imports

The Union Government is understood to have decided to import sugar so as to increase the availability and check the rise in the prices of free sale sugar. However, no official confirmation was available of the reported purchase of about 1,50,000 tonnes of sugar by the State Trading Corporation in the London market. The country has not imported sugar for over 20 years. The government decision follows a steep fall in sugar production in 1979-80 with the total output estimated at four million tonnes.

Police Discontent

There is general discontent among the police officers in Punjab and Haryana, particularly among those belonging to the IPS cadre. Immediate cause of the unrest is alleged harassment at the hands of the new political bosses and registration of cases against police officers in the two states. First, a former deputy director of the CBI, N K Singh, was arrested and humiliated at the initiative of the Haryana government. R C Sharma, former SSP of Karnalis is facing the same fate. He is currently on bail and has not only been superseded but placed on a junior post. Sharma is considered an upright officer and there is a lot of sympathy for him among the officers and other ranks.