KARACHI - The Sindh High Court on Wednesday extended stay order against the new sugarcane price set by the Sindh government.
A bench of the high court heard sugar mills owners petition against the sugarcane price. The provincial government had fixed the price of commodity at Rs250 per 40 kilograms. The bench, with consent of the parties, adjourned further hearing of the case till December 15. Sindh’s 17 sugar mills have challenged the new price in a petition calling the price unviable for the millers.
The high court has restrained the government from taking any action against the petitioners. The controversy over the sugar cane price has been a regular feature of the crushing season for last several years. The Sindh Cabinet in November decided to fix the minimum support price for sugarcane at Rs250 per 40 kilograms.
The cabinet session also proposed beginning of crushing season by November 15. Adviser to the CM on Agriculture, Manzoor Wassan also briefed the provincial cabinet on the support price of the wheat. The government of Sindh had fixed the support price of 40kg wheat at Rs2,000 for the harvest season of 2020-21, the adviser said. The federal government however, fixed the support price of 40kg wheat at Rs1,800 for the 2020-21 season, provincial adviser briefed.
“Agriculture department had proposed increase in the wheat support price owing to hike in input prices particularly in fertilizer and diesel rates,” he said. The cabinet directed the agriculture department to consult over the support price of wheat with the stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday has summoned the Director-General (DG) Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) in an illegal construction case. 
The DG SBCA has been directed to appear in person before the court on December 24. The SHC bench was hearing the illegal construction case.
Showing resentment over the rapid transfers of the SBCA officials, the court summoned the DG of the authority to appear before the court and explain the issue.
The officers get rapidly transferred from whom the report is being summoned, the bench remarked and added that is this the way to avoid implementing court orders?
The bench observed that rapid transfers of the SBCA officers are being done to defy court orders.
The SHC while summoning the DG SBCA on December 24, directed the secretary local bodies to look into the matter of officers’ transfers.

Earlier, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had ordered to register FIRs against the builder, plot owner and the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials in a case related to illegal constructions in Karachi’s North Nazimabad Block C.