The government has turned down the request of millers in Tamil Nadu for financial assistance in the form of reimbursement of transportation costs to help them secure raw sugar from other states. Sugar mills in Tamil Nadu are keen on sourcing raw sugar from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, which are expected to produce a surplus in 2017-18 (Oct-Sep), to improve availability of the sweetener in the state. The move would also aid capacity utilization of mills in the state, and reduce their losses. The mills had also urged the government to help cut their loss by restructuring their bank loans.