LAHORE: While issuing directives to provincial government to ensure availability of sugar at Rs85 per kg at local market outlets on Friday the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued restraining order over sale of sweetener in Sasta Ramadan Bazaars.
Earlier, Punjab government has issued a notification about fixing the ex-mill and retail price of sugar at Rs80 and Rs85 respectively. Tandlianwala Sugar Mills Ltd, Noon Sugar Mills Ltd, and Ms. Macca Sugar Mills Pvt. Ltd have invoked the LHC jurisdiction over provincial government’s order of fixing the ex-mill sugar price at Rs80.
On Friday, a single-member bench of the LHC Justice Shahid Jamil Khan issued the directives while hearing identical pleas of the millers observing under what law all quantity of sugar was being sold in Ramadan Bazars.
The bench expressed dissatisfaction over the provincial government arrangements to tackle the sugar supply in the local market for across the board buyers saying setting up Ramadan and Jumma Bazaars meant the administration has failed to control prices at local markets. However, the provincial law officer submitted that such Bazaars were meant to provide relief to the poor and downtrodden people.
Pointing out the reason about long queues of sugar buyers in Ramadan Bazaars the law officer apprised the bench that local markets faced a shortage of sugar due to its sale in Ramadan Bazaars.
“Under what law all sugar was sold in Ramadan Bazaars?” the court asked, calling for the commodity to be sold to the common man at Rs85 per kilogramme.
The bench observed that this is not the matter of sugar only but of all essential commodities. “The absence of a mechanism to fix prices of essential food items is the cause of inflation,” it noted.
The Lahore commissioner said that Ramadan Bazaars greatly benefited the poor. The poor were turned into beggars, the bench retorted, asking why food items are not available at cheaper rates at citizens’ doorstep.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier suspending notification about fixing ex-mill and retail sugar prices in the province the LHC directed provincial government to take sugar mill owners on board through deliberative consultation to determine one of the essential commodities prices for consumers. Mills counsel had alleged the provincial government was making a dent in the reputation of his clients by leveling false allegations of hoarding. He informed the Industries Department deputed its officials in the mills to enforce the ex-mill price of sugar. The council opposed the notification saying the provincial government is not competent to enforce its prices to mills. On such ground, the lawyer urged the court to set aside the notification in the issue.
Later, hearing of the matter was adjourned till date in office.
