LAHORE-The Lahore High Court on Thursday fixed retail price of sugar at Rs 40 per kg, directing the Punjab Govt to ensure sugar availability at this rate in open market at any cost.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif and Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry passed this order while disposing of a suo moto notice concerning prevailing sugar crisis.
‘The court directs Punjab government to ensure sale of sugar at rate of Rs 40 per kg to the general public without distinction in open market and not only in Sunday Bazaars, Ramazan Bazaars or Utility Stores under the guard of the police’, the order said.
The court also ruled that,Â’Punjab govt is at liberty to recover sugar from all places wherever it is stocked after making payment at the rate of Rs 36 per kg to the stockistsÂ’.
‘The difference of Rs 4 will be to meet the expenses for transportation and profit of the stockist as well as the retailers’, the court order continued.
The court also directed Chief Secretary Punjab to frame a policy so that stockists voluntarily present their stocks, and that coercive measures should ensure availability of sugar to general public at reasonable price.
Earlier, the reports submitted by central and provincial governments revealed that sugar has been supplied to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan at the rate of Rs 24 per kg to Rs 28 per kg for the year 2008-09.
The government of Punjab submitted the report according to which the sugar was being sold at 17 sugar mills at the rate of Rs 33.26 per kg while as per report of Ministry of Industries average sugar retail price/kg for the last year 2007-2008 was Rs 28.56. The government is selling the sugar at Rs 38 per kg at the Utility Stores.
The court had taken suo moto notice of Press reports that billions of rupees have been earned by the market players due to escalation in sugar price with the active connivance of the political dignitaries whereby the price of sugar has shot upto Rs 52 per kg, and is likely to further shoot upto Rs 60 per kg in holy month of Ramazan.
Earlier, the CJ Khawaja Muhammad Sharif had observed that federal and provincial govts should not get blackmailed by the mills mafia on sugar issue and should take a tough stance to resolve the crisis.
Chief Justice said that those responsible for the sugar crisis required to be dealt with iron hands. The people would not vote for the ruling parties during the forthcoming elections in case they failed to resolve the sugar crisis amicably, he said.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government on Thursday said it would implement the decision of Lahore High Court with regard to sale of sugar at Rs 40 per kg.
According to an official handout, the spokesman of the Punjab government said that the provincial government would implement the LHC decision. The spokesman further said that at present sugar is available at Rs 40 per kg in Ramzan bazaars and Rs 47 per kg in the open markets of the province.
Meanwhile, when contacted repeatedly Chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) Javed Kayani was not available for his comments.
However, a sugar mill owner, requesting his name not to be mentioned, said that they would challenge the orders of the LHC in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
