LAHORE: The Cane Commissioner Punjab on Tuesday directed the district administrations to take necessary measures to ensure compliance with the provincial government’s decision to start sugarcane crushing before November 25, 2022.

It is worth mentioning that the Food department on November 18, 2022, through a notification had announced that the occupiers of the sugar mills situation in Punjab should start crushing sugarcane not later than 25th November 2022. The government also fixed the minimum sugarcane purchase price at the factory gate as well as the cane purchase centres for the season 2022-23 at Rs 300 per 40 kg.

Besides fixing the price, the same notification had also authorised the millers to deduct the transportation charges incurred by them on the cane purchased at the purchase centres or any other locations away from the factory gate.

However, the millers were of the view that they could not start the crushing till they were given permission to export surplus stocks lying with the mills. In a letter to the deputy commissioners, who as per law are also considered additional cane commissioners, of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalnagar, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Layyah, Khanewal, Okara, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Mandi Bahauddin, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Jhang and Sialkot, the cane commissioner asked to ensure compliance with intimation to his office.

Cane Commissioner Hussain Bahadur while talking to Business Recorder said that as per Section 8 of the Sugar Factories Control Act, the occupier of a factory shall start crushing cane no later than a date specified by the government which shall not be later than 30th November. He said that if the directions are not complied with, then action under Section 21 of the same law would be taken.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022