Licences of eight sugar mills revoked

Sindh ministry for industry sends strong message to polluters, land grabbers.

KARACHI: The Sindh ministry for trade and industry has cancelled the no-objection certificates (NOCs) for eight sugar mills who failed to set up units in the agreed period of time.

These mills had acquired NOCs but did not establish sugar units even after five years. The provincial government has also asked sugar mills who recently acquired NOCs to complete their units within two years otherwise their NOCs will also be cancelled by the government.

The decisions have been taken in the backdrop of the sugar crisis as the commodity’s prices hit record highs. Sindh Minister for Trade and Industry Rauf Siddiqui took this decision in a meeting conducted on Wednesday.

The minister also issued notices to industries to set up effluent treatment plants within three months as directed by the Supreme Court. Siddiqui warned industries that the government will take stern steps against those who, despite repeated requests, fall short in curbing environmental pollution.

Land grabbers have also been threatening industrialists and land developers in recently allotted industrial land in Hyderabad, Karachi and other cities of Sindh, said Siddiqui, adding that the government has made up its mind to clear out land grabbers.

The minister asked the officials of Sindh Industrial Trading Estates (Site) Limited to increase the pace of major industrial development projects such as the water supply to the Nooriabad industrial area from Manchar Lake. He urged officials to complete the project by January 2011.

Furthermore, Siddiqui asked the managing director and chief engineer of Site Limited to monitor the progress of development projects in the province’s industrial areas. He also demanded officials to report to him about the industrial development projects in Nooriabad and Kotri, Hyderabad before Eidul Azha.

The meeting was informed that owing to limited funds, major industrial projects in Sindh have been delayed. The minister then asked the Sindh secretary for trade and industry to negotiate for funds with the ministry of finance.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2010.