LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday gave an opportunity to the concerned authorities for adopting a policy to ensure availability of sugar, its price control and other measures.
Justice Shahid Jamil Khan passed the orders while hearing petitions filed by Tandiawala Sugar Mills and others against fixing the ex-mill sugar price at the rate of Rs 80 per kg by the provincial government. A law officer argued that a meeting of all Secretaries was held in accordance with the court directions for ensuring the availability of sugar and various decisions were taken for the purpose. He submitted that it had been decided that a special booth would be set up in all Ramazan bazaars for sugar and wheat flour.
He further submitted that a total of 155,000 metric tons of sugar would be supplied during Ramazan. At this, the court directed to ensure availability of sugar in Ramazan bazaars and retail outlets, besides adjourning further hearing till April 28. It is pertinent to mention here that the court had provisionally ordered purchase of sugar at ex-mill price, Rs 80 per kg, from sugar mills during the holy month of Ramazan after the authorities informed that 15,5000 metric tons of sugar required for Ramazan, whereas the mills had a stock of 2,500,000 metric tons.
The sugar mills had approached the court against fixing the price of sugar by the government.