LAHORE: The local police station of district Faisalabad has lodged two separate FIRs against Tandlianwala Sugar Mills - one for not paying to the sugarcane growers within the stipulated time after issuing Cane Procurement Receipt (CPR) and the other for not issuing the CPR to another grower.

The complaint was forwarded by the office of the Cane Commissioner Punjab after holding an enquiry on the complaints of two growers. Both the above mentioned offences have been declared cognizable offence after an amendment in the Sugar Factories Control (Amendment) Act 1950.

The FIRs were lodged on last Saturday during visit of Cane Commissioner Punjab Muhammad Zaman Wattoo to Kanjwani area of district Faisalabad after holding the enquiry against the Tandlianwala Sugar Mills. Different employees of the mills including Manager Cane Atif Saeed, Chief Accountant Umer Ansari and Rana Aleem have nominated in the FIRs.

As per the FIR, it has been alleged that the Cane Commissioner held an inquiry on the complaint of one Javed Khan that payment had not been made against his CPR# 05311251 (dated 24.12.2020) amount Rs 63,358, CPR# 04050838 (26.12.2020) amounting 87,072 and CPR# 08285602 (22.12.2020) amounting to Rs 95,571 within 15 days of the issuance of the CPR under the Sugar Factories Control Act 1950, Section 21. Deputy Director Agriculture Khalid Mahmood was complainant of the FIRs on the behalf of cane commissioner.

Similarly, the FIR was also lodged with the Garh Police Station. Complainant Rao Junaid said that he had not been issued CPR against sugarcane weighing 17,590 kilograms, 20,085 kilograms and 15,415 kilograms delivered on different dates to the same mills. He alleged that he was issued a temporary token. He claimed that cash payment was made against the delivery made on 29.01.2021 which is also violation of the Sugar Factories Control (Amendment) Act 1950, section 13(2). Both the cases have been forwarded to the investigation branch for further proceedings.

Cane Commissioner Muhammad Zaman Wattoo while talking to the Business Recorder on Monday said that he is committed to eradicating all the wrong doings which deprive sugarcane growers from their hard earned money. He said taking action against mills of influential is actually a message to the PSMA and mill owners that no discrimination would be observed in this matter to facilitate the growers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021