The ministers reportedly assured the farmers’ body that the government would start taking action against mills who defied the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) order regarding the sugar cane rate. The action committee claimed that after the SHC’s order, 25 out of 32 sugar mills stopped operations and buying sugar cane. The court had ordered on December 21 the sugar mills to pay Rs172 per 40 kilogrammes (kg) of sugar cane to the farmers and deposit in the court Rs10 for every 40kg they purchased. Under the Sindh Sugar Factories Control Act, 1950, the provincial government has to notify crushing season and the crop’s rates in the month of October every year. Referring to the hearing of the sugar cane issue in the SHC, Siyal said the government would submit its reply in court on January 10.

Source: The Express Tribune January 02, 2018 04:52 UTC