LAHORE: Cane Commissioner Punjab Muhammad Zaman Wattoo has directed the deputy commissioners of all the districts to inspect the sugarcane procurement being carried out by the sugar mills in their respective localities to snub the practice of 'off the book' purchase.

Zaman Wattoo while talking to Business Recorder here on Wednesday said that his office had been approached by some growers complaining 'off the book' purchases by the sugar millers or middlemen despite clear cut directives by the provincial government for keeping the accounts of all the sale and purchase.

He said that the government had taken a number of steps to ensure that the growers should get at least minimum purchase price announced by the government for sugarcane purchase and timely payments to the growers in contrast to the past practices.

The sources said that the Cane Commissioner had taken this step on complaints received in his office to the effect that some of the mills are indulging in the malpractices of off-the-book purchase which may result in evasion of sales tax, sugarcane development cess and other taxes.

The Cane Commissioner requested the District Administrations to depute the ex-officio inspectors, preferably the Assistant Commissioners, to inspect the sugar mills. "In case any sugar mill is found purchasing sugarcane off-the-book and not issuing the Cane Purchase Receipt (CPR), legal action to be taken against them under the Punjab Sugar Factories (Control) Act, 1950," said the letter issued by the Cane Commissioner office.

Pakistan Kissan Movement (PKM) Secretary General Hanif Gujjar had also drawn the attention of the Cane Commissioner Punjab towards middlemen scattered all over the province and exploiting sugarcane growers. He, in a statement, had alleged that growers were being paid less than Rs200 and no CPR (Cane Procurement Receipt) was being issued in certain cases.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020