Lawmakers demand defaulters’ cases be referred to the NAB. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
Lawmakers from the treasury and the opposition benches were unanimous on Monday in protesting the government’s failure to make sugar mills pay their dues to sugarcane farmers.
Some lawmakers recommended that cases of mills that had defaulted on the payments be sent to the National Accountability Bureau. Some suggested that a parliamentary committee be formed to monitor progress in the matter. The suggestion was dismissed by Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani, who presided over the session.
The debate over non-payment of dues by sugar mills started after Parliamentary Food Secretary Muhammad Asad Ullah claimed that the government had been serious in its crack down on mills that had defaulted on payment to farmers. He said five mills were sealed in 2014-2015 and four in 2013-2014. He said the unpaid amount for 2014-15 was just 3.3 per cent and for 2013-14 just 0.1 per cent of the total payments for these years.
He said 21 of the 43 mills in the province had failed to entirely clear the dues. He said mills that owed large sums to farmers were sealed. He said the DCOs concerned had been asked to take action against the others as well. He said the Brothers Sugar Mill was sealed because it owed Rs870 million to farmers.
Further, the parliamentary secretary assured the House that farmers’ dues would be paid ahead of other liabilities (bank loans etc) in case a mill was auctioned for default.
However, this assurance was dismissed by lawmakers who observed that the law required clearance of bank liabilities before payment to anyone else in case a mill was auctioned.
Treasury member Malik Ahmad Saeed said farmers would likely remain unpaid in such a situation.
Vickas Hassan Mokal objected to the parliamentary secretary’s claim and said the statistics provided by him were not reliable. He said most farmers had been given post-dated cheques.
About the sealing of the Brothers Sugar Mill, he said the owners machinery had already been shifted to another location.
Sheikh Alaud Din seconded Mokal’s statement and suggested that a parliamentary committee be formed to review progress on payment of dues to farmers.
Treasury member Munawwar Ghaus highlighted that the department had yet to proceed against Chishtian Sugar Mill which owed Rs170 million to farmers. He rejected as false the parliamentary secretary’s claim that the mill had been sealed in 2013 and its auction advertised later. On this, the chair directed the secretary to inform the House about the status of the mill’s auction.
Call attention notices
Responding to call attention notices, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told the House that the Counter Terrorism Department and intelligence agencies had made progress in investigation of the suicide attack in which Home Minister Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada lost his life. He said investigation was also underway to track down the murderers of late MPA Shamshad Ahmad Khan and his son.
The House also discussed briefly the ouster of Aitchison College Principal Dr Agha Ghazanfar. Vickas Hassan Mokal demanded that the government take notice of the matter.
The session was adjourned till Tuesday morning (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2015.
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