LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday censured the government for making the citizens stand in long queues to buy subsidized sugar and directed the Chief Secretary to ensure availability of sugar in all retail outlets at rate of Rs 85 per kg.

The court also sough written undertaking from Chief Secretary and other responsible offiicals for availibility of sugar at retail outlets in the province of Punjab.

The court had temporarily allowed the government to lift sugar from the mills at Rs 80 to meet the demand during the holy month of Ramzan.

The court adjourned the proceedings of petitions of sugar mills owners for Wednesday (today) after the law officer sought time to submit an undertaking on behalf of the government. The court observed, “The government has made the people beggar in the name of Rs 15 discount on sugar’s price”. The court said the making the people stand in the queues for purchasing subsidized sugar was against dignity and self-respect.

“Since dignity of a citizen is inviolable under the Constitution, therefore, lining up the people to purchase sugar at subsidized rate on any pretext is against command of the Constitution,” the court reminded the government’s law officer and the cane commissioner, present in the court.

The court therefore asked the government to rectify the practice and ensure that the people got the subsidized sugar without standing in the long queues.

Earlier, the cane commissioner also assured the court that the sugar would be lifted from the mills through registered dealers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021