The present sugar crisis, a permanent headache for the common man, prompted the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Industries and Production to summon the Federal Industries Secretary and the Managing Director of Utility Stores Corporations (USC) on Wednesday to find ways and means for untying the knot.
The committee, which met here on Monday with MNA Ghous Buksh Mehar in the chair, expressed concern over the worsening sugar crisis, and directed the authorities to brief the committee in detail as to where the supply line was choked. Few days back, there was a perception that things were in control after the ministry held a marathon meeting with the mill owners on the directive of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to resolve the crisis, but the pricing formula was too inflated, which again created hue and cry among the general public.
With no end in sight in view of the deteriorating sugar crisis, Mehar said, it was necessary to avert the ongoing sugar crisis to give a sigh of relief to the masses at least on the eve of important religious festival, "Eid-ul-Fitar," after the holy month of Ramazan.
If the sugar mill owners were allowed to import the raw sugar, it might have prevented the ongoing sugar crisis, he said, adding that the government should also allocate more funds for the increase of agriculture produce, including sugarcane, improve research work and expand plans.
"These are long-term measures on which decision is still to be taken," he said, adding that import whether by mill owners or the government urgently was the only available option at present to restore the supply line and bring down the prices.
The picture at the utility store outlets was not hidden from the people working to resolve the crisis as long queues of people, including women, children and old people, were seen outside the stores, praying for a blessing of some staff member to have their ration basket filled, though after paying the desired price, he said.
USC Managing Director Arif Khan will give a detailed briefing to the committee regarding sugar crisis, availability and issues relating to its hoarding etc, while Federal Minister for Industries and Production Manzoor Wattoo is also expected to attend the meeting. "What will come out after this briefing is a point to ponder. May there be some out of the blue solutions with the management of the USC to give masses some good news. We will have to wait for another gloomy night," he said.