KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that due to wrong policies of the federal government, a dispute between the growers and the sugar millers has emerged; therefore millers have refused to start crushing and the standing sugarcane crop is turning pale.
He was talking to media just after inaugurating two roads, Hub River and Surjani-Madinatul Hikmat Road near Hamdard University on Saturday.
He was accompanied by Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Fisheries & Livestock Minister Mohammad Ali Malkani, Works& Services Minister Imdad Pitafi, MPA Saeed Ghani and secretary Local Government Ramzan Awan and others.
Replying to a question, the chief minister said that the matter of sugarcane crushing was taken up at the CCI meeting held on November 24, in Islamabad. “I told them that the problem has been created by the federal government which adopted wrong policies,” he said, and added the federal government had imposed a ban on the export of sugar in December 2016, Jan, Feb, March and April, therefore the sugar which was lying in the godowns could not be exported.
The CM said that Pakistan produced around eight million tonnes of sugar every year against which the local consumption was hardly five million. “This shows that every year we have three million tonnes of sugar in excess,” he said, and went on saying “had the federal government not imposed ban on the export of sugar we would not have any problem of surplus stock.”
He added that due to the wrong polices of the federal government, the mechanism of demand and supply became misbalanced and now “we are facing serious situation.” Murad said that in the international market, there was a price difference of around Rs15; therefore the federal government had assured the provincial governments at the CCI meeting that it would give subsidy on the export of sugar for which the provincial governments would also take some financial burden.
Replying to another question, the chief minister said that the CCI meeting was informed that no sugar mills had started crushing in Punjab but nobody had started protests or had dared to come out onto the roads there. “As a matter fact, Punjab has to start crushing from November 1,” the CM said, and added, “But, in Sindh sugarcane crushing has been politicized. This politicization is causing loss to the growers.”
The chief minister further said, “My government is with the farmers who grow their crops after an extensive hard work and investment.”
“The standing sugarcane crop is turning pale and their harvesting must start now,” he added.
He said that in the present situation of deadlock the federal and the provincial governments had decided to intervene for starting crushing and disposing of the sugar stocks through export. “The Sindh government, in coordination with the federal government, is working out a plan to give subsidy and announce sugarcane price,” he informed.
Talking about Sindh Governor Zubair Ahmed, the chief minister said he was his best friend but he did not know the facts. “The Green Line project has been delayed due to non-serious attitude of the federal government,” he said, and added that it was Rs16 billion project and the federal government had allocated Rs5 billion. “That’s why it could not be completed in four years. Oh yes, had it been started in Punjab, it would have been completed in one year,” he remarked.
Replying to a question, Murad said that he would direct Minister for Transport Syed Nasir Shah to make necessary provision for student tickets [concessional] in BRT system. “It is important and we would ensure it,” he said.
To a question, Murad Ali Shah said that he had given clear instructions to the divisional administration all over Sindh to take necessary measures to tone down reaction to operation launched against the participants of the sit-in at Faizabad, Islamabad. “We will not allow anybody to take law into his hands,” he vowed.
The chief minister said that he had pressed the federal government to ratify three percent census blocks to make the exercise credible. “But at that time they agreed to ratify only one percent. At the CCI meeting [Nov 24], the federal government agreed to ratify five percent census blocks so that people of the country can trust it. This is a good move,” he appreciated.
Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated two important roads, Hub River and Surjani-Madinatula Hikmat roads by unveiling their plaques at a simple ceremony.
The Hub River Road, part of Karachi mega project started in December 2016, has been completed within 15 months. It is a 12-km long road and has been built at Rs1.25 billion. A storm water drain spreading over 1.62 km have also been constructed on the one side of the road.
The surjani-Madinatual Hikmat Road has been constructed within six months with additional construction of a road from Norther Bypass to Hamdard University.
The cost of the project was Rs1246.16 million. It has three lanes [on each side].
The chief minister, while addressing the gathering, said that the projects launched under the Karachi Package Phase-I, were nearing completion and now “We are going to launch Phase-II from December 15,” he informed.