LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said the government has protected the interests of the farmers in the past and the same would be done in future as well.
He said this while meeting with the delegations of Kissan Ittehad and presiding over a meeting of Punjab Agriculture Commission.
He said that no excess of any kind is tolerable with the farmers. “I will go to every extent for securing stakes of the farmers of Punjab,” he added.
The sale of sugarcane at the rate of Rs180 per maund will be ensured at every cost and the complaint of lessening of sugarcane weight will not be tolerated, the chief minister said. “The sugar mills will be bound to give original receipt to the farmers and the mills giving any temporary receipt will be prosecuted,” he added.
Shehbaz further stated that the sugar mills will implement the decisions in letter and spirit and in case of any violation by the owners, action will be taken. “Action will be taken against the mill owner upon the complaint of a decrease in price or weight of the sugarcane,” he resolved.
The chief minister, while constituting a committee to implement the decisions made for the farmers, said that this committee will review implementation status of the decisions. “No leniency will be done with sugar mill owners in case of any injustice meted out to farmers,” the CM added.
“If a complaint is raised against any of my relatives, then strict action will be taken and the facility will be provided to farmers for receiving their payments from the mills. Commissioners, deputy commissioners and police officers will be bound to implement decisions made for the protection of interests of the farmers and action will be taken against concerned administrative and police officers in case of complaint of any violation of the decisions,” said Shehbaz.
He directed that agriculture, industry and health departments’ ministers and secretaries should personally visit to inspect the ground-situation and present their reports.
Kissan Ittehad delegations said that the CM always protected the interests of the farmers. Kissan Ittehad (Khalid Khokhar Group) President Khalid Khokhar, Punjab Sugar Mills Association Chairman Javed Kiani, Kissan Ittehad (Chaudhry Anwer Group) President Rao Tariq Ashfaq, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan President Sarfaraz Khan and progressive farmers were also present on the occasion.
Provincial Ministers Syed Hussain Jahania Gerdazi, chief secretary, ACS (Home), IGP and other were also present on the occasion.