Sugar mills given two days to clear growers’ dues 

Punjab Cane Commissioner Mohammad Zaman Wattoo has issued notices to three sugar mills in the province over non-payment to growers, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.  

The provincial cane commissioner hasissued notices to sugar mills include Rehman Hinjra Unit, Faisalabad Unit and GB Sugar Mill Pasrur in Tandlianwala for non-payment to sugarcane farmers. 

The cane commissioner notice stated that legal action would be taken in case of non-payment by February 20 as Punjab Cane Commissioner have been receiving repeated complaints against the three sugar mills. 

Wattoo hinted at stern action against three sugar mills for not clearing payments by February 20.

Reportedly, the central government has decided to recover Rs386 billion from the sugar mills responsible for an acute shortage of the commodity last year. 

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a recent cabinet meeting, asked Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar to brief the cabinet about the actions taken so far on the report of a sugar commission that conducted a probe into the crisis.

The commission which is led by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had accused sugar mill owners of earning illegal profits worth billions of rupees through unjustified price hikes, benami transactions, tax evasion, misuse of subsidy and purchasing sugarcane off the books.