Owners of all sugar mills are summoned by the Supreme Court (SC) today. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar will hear the sou motu case about non-payment to sugarcane farmers.
A three-member bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar issued a notice to summon the mill owners on April 24.
Chief Justice assured sugarcane farmers that their rights would be safeguarded.
On February 19, farmers told the court that the sugarcane mills owner were not buying sugarcane at the rate of Rs180 per maund.
Jahangir Tareen, a mill owner and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), blamed Punjab Government the issue. He said that his mill was buying the sugarcane harvest at Rs180 per maund, asking other mill owners should also follow suit.
The crisis emerged when the sugar mills owners refused to pay the fixed amount of sugarcane harvest to farmers across the country. It caused a loss of over Rs 60 million to sugarcane farmers this year.
Moreover, National Food Security and Research Minister, Sikandar Hayat Bosan said that except a few sugar mills in southern Punjab, no other mill was paying the fixed price to farmers.
He further added, “The mills are purchasing sugarcane from farmers at the rate of Rs120 to 130 for 40 kilograms and getting signature from the farmers for the rate of Rs180 for the same quantity.”
