BAHAWALPUR: Local cotton growers have expressed concern over the alleged permission given to some businessmen by the Punjab government to set up sugar mills in Channigoth area despite a ban, warning that it would affect economy in the “cotton belt”.

Dawn has learnt that recently, with the permission of Punjab government, some influential businessmen have acquired more than 50 acres of land near Channigoth near Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar (KLP) highway in Tarinda Muhammad Panah area to set up sugar mills.

According to Anjuman-i-Kashtkaran Uch Sharif president Aneesur Rehman, the permission had been given despite a province-wide ban on the establishment or shifting of sugar mills.

He said the state machinery was actively facilitating the businessmen in setting up sugar mills in Channigoth area.

He said after failing to set up the mills in their native areas of upper Punjab due to their anti-workers and anti-farmers policies, these businessmen had focused on south Punjab for the purpose.

He apprehended that if government showed leniency to such ventures in the “cotton belt” areas, not only the cotton industry in south Punjab and Bahawalpur would suffer heavy losses, but the Pakistan would be at loss in the international market due to reduction in cotton production.

INJURED: Two people were injured when two armed motorcyclists opened fire on them at a petrol pump during a road robbery near Bindra Pulli here on Monday.

According to police, Mumtaz and Zahid were also deprived of Rs0.2 million by the robbers who escaped after committing the crime.

Saddar police officials rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) where their condition was stated to be serious.

The police have raised pickets in the area to arrest the robbers after registration of a case.

BALLOT BAGS: In pursuance of judicial commission directive, the district and sessions Judge is expected to open the bags of the ballot papers containing the Forms 15 and 16 from June 2.

The judicial commission probing into alleged rigging in 2013 polls had directed all D&SJs to submit the photo copies of Form 15 and 16 after opening the bags of all constituencies in their respective jurisdictions.

District Election Commissioner Mian Shahid told dawn on Monday that in Bahawalpur district the bags of five National Assembly and 11 Punjab Assembly constituencies would be opened from June 2.

According to him, the process would be supervised by the district and sessions judge.

He said the bags of the polling stations of four National Assembly seats -- NA-182, NA-183, NA-184 and NA-185, besides nine Punjab Assembly constituencies from PP-267 to 275 would be opened at the treasury (the district accounts office), while the bags of remaining three constituencies -- NA-186, PP-277 and PP-278 (Hasilpur tehsil) might be opened in Hasilpur sub-treasury on June 4.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2015

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