Sindh Government has expressed its inability to check misuse of chemicals that are available in the local market and being used as intoxicant by a large number of youngsters.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Minister during question/answer session of the assembly on Wednesday, Finance Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed said that the Provincial Excise and Taxation Department had no control over the sale of Samad Bond and similar products.
Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah was in the chair.
He was responding to a question asked by Nawab Ali Wassan, who wanted to know if the youngsters were using Samad Bond as an intoxicant.
He said that Samad Bond, commonly used as a general-purpose adhesive of bonding leather, rubber, textile, wood, glass and a number of other materials, was being manufactured in Lahore.
He said that the matter regarding its use as an intoxicant by youngsters did not relate to the Excise and Taxation Department as no licence under the Excise enactment had been issued by the government of Sindh, declaring the product as an intoxicant.
Ahmed said that the government of Sindh had no jurisdiction over the sale of Samad Bond in the open market and was, therefore, not authorised for stopping the same.
To another question from Mohammed Rafique Engineer, who wanted to know if the licence of M/S S. S. Miranda beverages had been restored despite a huge amount of government dues outstanding against the company, the minister said that it was done conditionally, but practically it stood as cancelled even today.
He said that the company was conditionally allowed by the Provincial Secretary, Excise and Taxation, to operate subject to clearance of all government dues, but it had not complied with the conditions so far. "Practically, the licence stand cancelled," he added.
Ahmed, in response to a question from Humaira Alwani, said that Chachoo Wine Shop had been shifted from Christian Town after fulfilment of all formalities required by law.
He said as far as public complaints and protest were concerned, he had not received any such report.
The minister assured the House that all effort would be made to provide answers to question asked by the members.