The Supreme Court (SC) has admitted for hearing pleas filed by sugar mill owners against Sindh High Court (SHC) decision in respect of enhancement in the price of sugar canes.
The SC has sought reply from the Sindh government and others on the pleas till the second week of February.
Providing relief to people including farming community is the responsibility of the government as per the law and constitution, said Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, adding that none, including farmers, should be made to suffer losses.
Pakistan is an agrarian country but the land is lying barren for want of proper policy in agricultural matters, said the judge.
He gave these remarks while presiding over a three-member bench of SC during the course of hearing of pleas filed by sugar mills owners on Tuesday.
Sindh government told the court that the “government of Sindh fully agrees over fixing the sugar cane price at the rate of Rs 170 per maund if the parties concerned agree over it mutually”.
In the previous notification the prices of sugar cane has been fixed at Rs 152 per maund, the court was told. However, cultivators wanted that price of sugar cane to be fixed at the rate of Rs 182 per maund, it was said.
Sugar mills owners took the plea that “expenses are higher while a lower sugar price has been fixed” due to which they could “go bankrupt”.
They plead that loss upon loss could not be borne.
Sugar is not being exported to meet the country’s needs, they said. Therefore, the SHC decision be declared void and orders be issued for raising the prices of sugar, they plead.
