Unending excuses by millers

By: Sikander Shaheen | Published: November 01, 2009

ISLAMABAD – Yet again, sugar lobby has exhibited audacious show of its strength by hitting the entire country hard with acute shortage of the commodity just a few days prior to the arrival of sugarcane crushing season.
The dealers say that mill owners have cut down sugar supply to markets and cite that the existing sugar stocks have been consumed and the fresh stocks would be made available to the consumer markets once the sugarcane crushing season is over. Sugar season is likely to start in the next week of this month, November.
Contrary to what mill owners say, the reality is quite opposite because there are hundreds of thousands of un-recovered sugar bags stored illegally by the mighty millers mafia in collusion with Punjab Food officials, only to mint maximum money from people. It is reported that hundreds of godowns exist in Lahore, Gujranwala, Phalia, Pattoki, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Parianwala and other cities of Punjab where a huge quantity of sugar has been dumped illegally.
Although Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has adopted a tougher stance against the sugar mafia and Supreme Court has rebuked the office-bearers of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) in numerous hearings, besides forming a commission regarding fixation of sugar price, yet stubborn bravado of sugar cartel seems least bothered by the lean attempts of Federal Government to address the issue.

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