HYDERABAD, Feb 24: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Tuesday directed the Sindh cane commissioner to furnish a report about steps taken to enforce the law , rules and notifications to regulate procurement and payment of sugarcane by sugar mills.

The bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Musa K. Leghari and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, also ordered that verification and re-stamping of weights and weighing equipment in major industrial units, including sugar and cotton mills, should be completed.

The order was passed in a constitutional petition filed by sugarcane grower Mohammad Saleem Bozdar who accused the Mehran Sugar Mills management of corruption in sugarcane purchase. He stated that the mill management was issuing purchase orders to middle-men who were buying sugarcane from small-scale growers on cheaper rates.

He further said that weighing bridge of the mill was manipulated, causing loss of weight to the growers, and the mill was violating the Sindh Sugar Factories Control Act and other relevant laws.

He said that gates of the mills were closed for the farmers with the help of the police. Mr Bozdar said that he made frantic efforts to lodge his complaints with the cane commissioner but he was not discharging his duties as his officers were in league with the mill management.

He prayed the court to direct the cane commissioner to take action against the mill management, and in the case of his failure, direct the Anti-Corruption Establishment to register an FIR against him and the police officials.

The court noted that no action had so far been taken against the negligent officials and ordered that action should be taken against them according to the law. It issued a notice to the cane commissioner as he was absent despite being issued a notice.