The Lahore High Court here Thursday while fixing the retail price of sugar at Rs 40 per kg, directed the Punjab Government to ensure its availability in open market at any cost.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif and Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry while disposing of suo motu proceeding initiated against prevailing sugar crisis ruled that, "Punjab Government is at liberty to recover sugar from all places wherever it is stocked after making payment at the rate of Rs 36 per kg to the stockiest.
The bench directed the Punjab government to ensure sale of sugar at rate of Rs 40 per kg to the general public without distinction in open market and not only in Sunday Bazaars, Ramadan Bazaars or utility stores under the guard of the police. "The difference of Rs 4 will be to meet the expenses for transportation and profit of the stockiest as well as the retailers", the court continued.
The court also directed chief secretary Punjab to make a policy so that stockiest were volunteered to present their stocks failing which coercive measures should be taken to ensure availability of sugar to general public at reasonable price. Earlier, the reports submitted by central and provincial governments revealed that sugar had been supplied to the Trade Corporation of Pakistan at the rate of Rs 24 to Rs 28 per kg for the year 2008-09.
According to the Punjab government report the sugar was being sold at 17 sugar Mills at the rate of Rs 33.26 while as per report of Ministry of Industries average retail price of sugar for the last year 2007-2008 was Rs 28.56/kg. The government is selling the sugar at Rs 38 per kg at the Utility Stores.
The court had taken suo motu notice on a news appeared in a section of press to the effect that billion of rupees had been earned by the market players due to escalation in sugar price with the active connivance of the political dignitaries whereby the price of sugar had gone up to Rs 52 per kg and was likely to further shoot up to the tune of Rs 60 per kg in Holy month of Ramadan.
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