SHC hears sugar mills owners plea against sugarcane price

KARACHI: A Sindh High Court bench on Thursday heard sugar mills owners petition against the new sugarcane price set by the Sindh government.

The provincial government had fixed the price of commodity at Rs182 per 40 kilograms.

The mills owners had challenged the new price in a petition filed in December calling the price unviable for the millers.

The counsel of the sugar mills owners argued before the bench today that notification of the sugarcane price was issued without approval of the government.

The lawyer contended that according to the Supreme Court’s interpretation the government means the cabinet and the sugarcane price was notified without approval of the provincial cabinet.

The Additional Advocate General said that the high court had ordered the government to fix to fix the price of the commodity. The government counsle said that under the rules of business the secretary has authority to take decision. He said consultation with the cabinet over fixation of the price is procedural matter.

A meeting of the parties involved in the issue was convened for fixation of prices and a thorough consultation process took place, the government counsel said.

The court directed other lawyers to give their arguments in the next hearing of the case on March 07.

The controversy over the sugar cane price has been a regular feature of the crushing season for the last eight years.Only six out of 38 sugar mills of Sindh commenced crushing of sugarcane by Dec 11 as most of them said the price of Rs182 per 40 kilograms notified by the Sindh government was not viable.

Sugar mills once again challenged the price notification in the court but the court turned down their request to put the notification in abeyance.