A high-level meeting was held at CM Office with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair in which different matters including start of sugarcane crushing season, payment of arrears to farmers and action against illegal weighbridges came under discussion.
Addressing the meeting, Usman Buzdar said that sugar mills will be bound to procure sugarcane at the fixed price. The interests of sugarcane farmers will not be allowed to be put at stake and reservations of mill owners will also be removed. Federal Government will be approached as well in this regard, he added. Chief Minister directed to initiate indiscriminate action against the illegal weighbridges adding that action should be continued till their complete removal.
He said that early payment of farmers’ arrears should be ensured by mill owners and added that deduction in the weight of sugarcane will not be allowed at any cost. Indiscriminate action will be initiated on the complaint of deduction in the weight of sugarcane, he reiterated. He said that provincial ministers will perform their monitoring duties during the crushing seasons. Similarly, Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners will also keep a close eye on the situation, he said. Cane Commissioner gave a briefing about the start of crushing season and other allied matters.
Provincial Ministers including Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mohsin Leghari, Samiullah Ch., Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, Nauman Langrial, spokesman to CM Dr. Shehbaz Gill, Commissioners of DG Khan and Lahore divisions, provincial secretaries, Chairman Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (Punjab Zone) Nauman Ahmed Khan and others attended the meeting while Commissioners, RPOs and DCs participated through video link.