The government will take a time- bound decision on the Rangarajan committee's recommendations on freeing sugar industry and its report will not be put on 'backburner', food minister K V Thomas said on Monday.

Asked if the government would take a timely decision on the Rangarajan committee's report, Thomas said: 'It will not meet the fate of earlier reports and a timebound decision will be taken after .. receiving views from the PMO.' Last week, the panel, set up by the prime minister in January this year under PMEAC Chairman C Rangarajan, released a report recommending scrapping of major government controls on the sugar sector to move towards the reform process.

The Rangarajan panel is third committee by the government to study reforms in the sugar sector. Suggestions of earlier panels – Tuteja Committee and Thorat Committee – have not been implemented yet. Due weightage would be given to the recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee, Thomas told reporters after a meeting with agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on the sugar sector related issues. 

Way back in 1971-72 and 1978-79, the government had made attempts to decontrol the sector.