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WEEKLY
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| Sugar to be sold at Bachat Bazaars, SHC told |
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
By Jamal Khurshid
Karachi
The Sindh Agriculture Department has assured the Sindh High Court (SHC) that the entire 2,200 tonnes sugar stock shall be brought from the warehouse of a sugar mill and sold at Bachat Bazaars of Karachi before and after Eid.
The court was hearing the matter pertaining to the disposal of 2,200 tonnes of sugar in a civil litigation between a businessman and Najma Sugar Mill.
The court had summoned Secretary Agriculture Department on an application of the sugar mill for non- implementation of the court order.
Najma Sugar Mill’s counsel submitted that the SHC had directed the Sindh government to purchase sugar from the mill at Rs36 within a week but the Agricultural Department was not fulfilling its undertaking and only five tonnes of sugar was lifted with a payment of Rs180, 000 instead of purchasing the entire stock.
Replying to the court notice, Secretary Agriculture Agha Jan Akhtar assured the court that an amount for purchasing 1,600 tonnes of sugar shall be deposited instantly and the remaining will be made within two days.
He said that the delay in making payment and lifting of the sugar was because of some misunderstanding as he was informed that the sugar was lying in the warehouse in Karachi but later it transpired that it was lying in Mirpurkhas.
DCO Karachi, Javed Hanif, who appeared on the court notice, also assured the court that there shall be equitable distribution of sugar and not a single crystal shall be diverted to any other place or to any party other than the Bachat Bazaars and that it shall be sold to the public at not more than Rs40 per kilogram and that each individual shall be able to buy a sack of about two-and-a-half kilogram of sugar.
The counsel of the plaintiff and the defendant submitted that in order to ensure that there was no black marketing and sugar did not fall in the exploitive hands, the Silani Welfare Trust may be an assistant in the entire exercise.
The court agreeing with the suggestion ordered that the trust may assist the government functionaries in their endeavour to make the product available to consumers at various points on an equitable basis at a price not more than Rs40 per kilogram.
The court also directed that the Secretary Agriculture shall submit a report with relevant details after concluding the exercise.
The government was also directed to notify the public at large through print and electronic media regarding availability of sugar at Bachat Bazaars. The next hearing has been fixed for December 9, for submitting the compliance report.
Teachers’ appointment case: The Sindh High Court has constituted a full bench to hear identical petitions of 2,050 school teachers against their non-appointment. The petitioners submitted that they were issued offer letters by the previous government; however, they were not being issued posting orders. They said that one bench of the SHC while disposing of a petition of some teachers had directed the government to issue posting orders. However, in an identical matter, another bench placed the condition of getting 60 per cent marks for the issuance of posting orders.
To resolve the controversy, the SHC has constituted a full bench to hear the identical matters and the directed provincial law officer to file comments regarding government policy vis-a-vis the matter on December 11.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
