LAHORE  - The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, demanding the government to take strict measures to control law & order situation in the province, has said that police have totally failed to provide protection to the industry.
PSMA Punjab chairman Riaz Qadeer Butt, while condemning the ransacking of Macca Sugar Mills, said that the police have neither taken any action to trace the culprit nor recovered a single penny from the robbers, who looted more than Rs.11 million.  PSMA Punjab chairman said that at a time when the government was striving for attracting foreign investment and encouraging local businesses, the deteriorating law and order situation is putting a reverse gear to all its efforts. He said that the business community plays an important role in running the affairs of the country and the govt should take special steps to protect the businessmen from any such incidents.
He demanded of the CM Shahbaz Sharif to ensure arrest of the culprits and identify crime prone areas to avert any such incidents in future.
Riaz Butt said the incident has seriously hampered the crushing season as the mills are feeling insecure. He said the growers are also harassed and after the incident supply of sugarcane to Macca Sugar Mills has been halted. He said if full security is not provided to mills, growers and staff of mills responsible to bring cash from banks it will not be possible to continue operations of the mills. He urged the Punjab Government to ensure law and order.
The millers were shocked over the daylight looting incident of millions of rupees. “Millers are extremely upset with the existing poor law and order scenario, as daylight dacoities are forcing industry to close down their businesses.”
It is to be noted that about 20 dacoits raided Macca Sugar Mills about one week ago. They were equipped with hand grenades and latest automatic weapons, depriving the mill cash of over Rs11 million to be paid mills staff as a salary and duees to growers for purchase of sugarcane.