KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the agriculture secretary to appear before it on Dec 18 along with the relevant record after owners of sugar mills in Sindh through a petition challenged Sindh government’s recent notification fixing sugar cane price for the current season at Rs182/40kg.

The counsel for the petitioner millers submitted in court that on Oct 30, the high court had directed the provincial authorities to set up a sugar cane control board as per the Sugar Factories Control Act, 1950 and the board should convene its meeting immediately to fix the sugar cane price in accordance with Section 16 of the act.

However, the counsel submitted, a notification fixing the sugar cane price at Rs182/40kg was issued on Dec 7 by the provincial government. He contended that the authorities concerned failed to fulfil the parameters of Section 16 of the act while fixing the price.

The bench had also directed sugar mills to send a notice to the cane commissioner for showing their intention regarding commencement of cane crushing process strictly in accordance with Section 8 of the Sugar Factories Control Act, 1950.

Agriculture secretary given notice for Dec 18

Describing the price as “unjustified”, the counsel urged the court to seek minutes of the Nov 20 meeting [of stakeholders] on the cane price issue.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali directed the agriculture secretary to appear in court along with the minutes, if any, and relevant record on Dec 18.

On Oct 30, the same bench had asked the provincial authorities to set up the sugar cane control board within the next 10 days.

The board will convene its meeting immediately to fix the sugar cane price, according to the court’s directive.

It had ruled that the price of sugar cane fixed by the sugar cane control board must be notified by the provincial government before Nov 30.

BADIN: Sindh Minister for Agriculture Ismail Rahu has said that millers should have agreed to the price fixed by the provincial government instead of going for litigation, Hanif Samoon reports from Badin.

Speaking to the media and later to this reporter, Mr Rahu held that the government had fixed the rate of Rs182/40kg to provide maximum relief to the growers badly affected by drought and drought-like conditions in many parts of the province.

He pointed out that Sindh’s agriculture sector was currently facing a crisis due to a severe shortage of water in the system.

He said that Badin was among the worst-hit districts and its 68 dehs had already been declared drought-hit.

In certain other areas, including those falling within the command area of Sukkur Barrage that had been affected for the first time, and those around the Kotri Barrage the situation was assuming an alarming proportion with each passing day.

He said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership was seriously monitoring the situation as water crisis was dealing a severe blow to the provincial economy.

“It’s a grave issue of Sindh. Both the party leadership and provincial authorities concerned are seeking experts’ opinion on how to save the agriculture sector from devastation,” he added.

Mr Rahu expressed his dismay over the federal government’s “indifferent” attitude towards the crisis.

He asked officials of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) to pay heed to Sindh’s frantic appeals for an equitable distribution of water among all federating units.

In reply to a question, he said that more dehs of Badin district could be declared drought-hit amid aggravating water crisis and in the light of the reports prepared by the officials concerned.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2018