Unfair payments: 15 held, eight sugarcane centres sealed

Crackdown initiated in Vehari on instructions of deputy commissioner

MULTAN: The process of unfair deductions related to purchase of sugarcanes from farmers was still going on. As a result of crackdown, 15 members have been arrested and eight centres have been sealed.

The crackdown was initiated in district Vehari on the instructions of Vehari Deputy Commissioner Ali Akbar Bhatti and further proceedings were underway against those sugarcane centres who were involved in the exploitation of farmers.

According to a report, 50 sugarcane centres were working in district Vehari but action was taken against 23 out of these 50. Only three centres were found to be registered.

From six centres, six members have arrested and fine was imposed on them. Lawsuits have been filed while eight have been sealed against four centres.

In Machiwal Price Control Magistrate, Assistant Commissioner Asif Shah while proceeding against sugarcane traffic centres has registered cases against four owners of these centres identified as Muhammad Fayyaz, Muhammad Irfan, Muddassar Naseer and Miyan Sarfraz. They were sent to Machiwal Police Station after the registration of FIRs.

In Rahim Yar Khan, Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Raza had sent five members to police station who were purchasing sugarcane on low costs from farmers.

In Layyah, Deputy Commissioner Wajid Ali Shah made a committee consisting of members of revenue department, agriculture department, food department and labour department for monitoring in three; morning, evening and night shifts, to avoid from any kind of unjust payments and to provide the purchase receipt CPR Rs180 per 40 kilogramme.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2018.