Five arrested for running illicit cane purchase centres
By Our Correspondent
TOBA TEK SINGH, Dec 24: The Gojra police arrested five people on Monday who had unlawfully set up centres to purchase sugarcane from the cultivators.
The district Nazim had recently banned the setting up of purchase centres without prior permission of the authorities concerned in the district.
The arrested men are; Kalay Khan, Muhammad Younis and Muhammad Ihsan of Chak 91-JB, Muhammad Bakhsh of Chak 94-JB and Muhammad Farooq of Chak 96-JB. Weighing machines of the centres have also been sealed.
Meanwhile, farmers complained that the sugar mills staff was looting them by declaring their sugarcane of low quality. They said they were being given Rs30 to Rs32 per maund (40 kilograms). Councillors have also failed to force the mills to purchase sugarcane at the support price of Rs42 per maund.
They urged the Punjab governor to save them from the exploitation of mills owners.
It may be noted that more than 60 per cent sugarcane crop was still standing in the fields as the farmers were hoping that the government will create such a situation in the near future when they will sell their sugarcane at proper rate. As a result of delay in harvesting sugarcane crop, wheat sowing has also been delayed.
TEHSIL COUNCIL MEETING: The grain market road was named after the late Hakim Muhammad Said in a meeting on Monday.
The meeting, which was presided over by Naib Nazim Rana Abdul Majeed, was told that the Punjab local government department had sent a letter to local councils urging them to name at least one road after the late Hakim Said to pay tribute to the late for his services to the motherland.
The meeting was told that sewing machines worth Rs200,000 would be distributed among widows and poor women. Applications of such women would be attested by councillors and Naib Nazims of respective union councils.
Some members raised the issue of the excesses of sugar mills with the growers and the Nazim assured them that the issue would be brought in the notice of higher authorities.
A woman councillor expressed her concern over the poor condition of cleanliness in Islampura locality.