HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has been moved against the sugar mill owners by the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) for purchasing sugarcane at government-fixed rates.
The SCA filed a contempt petition in the court against sugar mill owners for violating the court’s order, which gave its verdict on December 28, 2014. However, the sugar mill owners are not obeying the court orders as they have filed a review petition in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the cane commissioner’s office remains lax in ensuring compliance of the SHC order. A meeting of the SCA, chaired by Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar, observed that though the SHC order has been challenged in the Supreme Court, the latter has not issued a stay order to the provincial government.
The farmers’ representatives at the meeting complained that the government’s response is tantamount to connivance with the mills.
The Sindh Sugar Factories Control Act stipulates the process start from early October after the government notifies the price. The mills are paying only Rs155 instead of fixed Rs182 per maund.
