Sindh government has cancelled No Objection Certificates (NOCs) of eight sugar mills, which could not be set-up on given deadline. Officials in Sindh Commerce and Industries Department told Business Recorder that the department has issued licences to these sugar mills some five years back, but despite passing the deadline they had failed to set-up their processing units.
The department also warned the sugar mills, which acquired NOCs two years ago for establishing processing units, they said. "This decision was taken by Sindh Minister for Commerce and Industries in a meeting to review record high in sugar prices on November 11, they said, adding that the minister also issued notices to set up effluent plants as ordered by Supreme Court (SC) in three months."
They said the minister also warned of stern action against those industries, which have failed to adopt precautionary measures to curb environmental pollution. They said the meeting was reviewed that land grabbers were threatening industrialists and land developers in the recently allotted industrial land Hyderabad, Karachi and other cities of the province. The minister had informed the meeting that the government has decided action for such elements, they added.
They said the minister issued directives to Sindh Industrial Trading Estates (SITE) Limited to enhance pace of development projects such as water supply to Nooriabad Industrial Area (NIA) from Kenjhar Lake. The minister urged for completion of projects by January 2011, they said. He also ordered Managing Directors (MDs) and Chief Engineers (CEs) of SITE Ltd for monitoring progress of development projects in industrial areas of Sindh, they said.
The meeting was informed that owing to limited funds, major Industrial projects in Sindh have been delayed. The minister then asked the Sindh Secretary for trade and industry to negotiate for funds with the ministry of finance, they added.