Rate Violation: Two sugar mills issued warnings

MULTAN: Two sugar mills have been issued warnings after registration of separate cases against them over violation of the control rate set by the government. Okara Assistant Commissioner Maham Asif and Depalpur Assistant Commissioner Abid Bhatti had separately registered cases against two sugar mills with Sadar Okara and Hujra Shah Muqeem police stations. The authorities conducted a raid at Baba Farid Sugar Mills and found that the purchase of sugarcane was done through middleman in violation of the control rate of the government of the Punjab. Okara AC Maham Asif said the sugar mill was purchasing sugarcane at the rate of Rs137-142 per 40 kilogrammes instead of the government rate of Rs180. The cash payment receipts were not also given to the growers. Another case was registered with Hujra Shah Muqeem police station against Abdullah Sugar Mills. Depalpur Assistant Commissioner Abid Bhatti said both the sugar mills were fined thrice for violating the rates in the past. “Today the managers of both mills were arrested for not purchasing sugar on the established price,” he said. The accused would be presented before the court on Friday and the law would decide whether the sugar mills would be sealed or not.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2018.