Punjab govt, millers and dealers on same page

LAHORE - Accepting Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilanis directives, the sugar millers, dealers and the Punjab government have agreed to ensure sugar price at Rs 45 per kg at ex-mill rate and Rs 47 per kg at the retail in the open market.
Moreover, the govt has restored the supply-line, allowing the millers to lift the stocks and sell it to the dealers.
Secondly, the govt also announced to end the on-going crackdown, withdraw on-guard police and the Food Department officials from the mills.
The patch-up took place at a high-level meeting presided over by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the CMs Secretariat.
Later, while talking to the mediamen after meeting with a representative delegation of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association Punjab, here on Saturday, Shahbaz Sharif said the govt was thankful to Premier Gilani for approving the proposal of the Pakistan Muslim League-N for fixing ex-mill price of sugar at Rs 45 per kg.
'It was the desire of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif that the ex-mill price of sugar should not be more than Rs 45 per kg so that it could be available to the people at retail price of Rs 46 or Rs 47 per kg.
'When the Federal Minister for Industries and Production announced unilaterally ex-mill price of sugar at Rs 49.75 per kg, this decision was not acceptable to us in the larger interest of the common man, he added.
Shahbaz said as a result of dialogue with the Association and other traders organisations, it was decided that not a single penny would be increased in the ex-mill price of sugar at Rs 45 per kg whereas in retail its maximum price would be Rs 47 per kg and in some divisions of the province, its price would be Rs 46 per kg.
'The govt has assured the Sugar Mills Association that the police force deputed in sugar mills all over the Punjab will be removed and notifications issued for compulsory purchase of sugar by the govt will also be withdrawn, said the CM, while thanking Senator Ishaq Dar, Provincial Minister for Food Malik Nadeem Kamran, Chief Secretary and Secretary Food for successfully presenting the stance of the Punjab government and the PML-N in Saturdays meeting with the Prime Minister.
Earlier, addressing the meeting of Association and traders organisations, Shahbaz Sharif asked the mill owners to accept this decision wholeheartedly, as it had been taken in the larger interest of the people.
'The government is removing police force from the mills, but it will continue the process of supervision for keeping a vigilant eye on sugar prices. The govt expects from the mill owners that they will not create any shortage of sugar, he added.
Chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association Punjab Javed Kiyani assured that they would fully implement the agreements made with the Punjab govt, and besides regular supply, they would also ensure the provision of sugar at fixed prices so that consumers of the province should not face any difficulty.
He thanked the CM for removing police force from sugar mills and withdrawing the notification.
On this occasion, representatives of traders assured the CM that they would fully cooperate with the provincial govt in this welfare step and would not allow increase in sugar prices.