SARGODHA, Nov 1 The district is facing an acute shortage of sugar and people are facing difficulty in getting sweetener even at Rs60 per kilo.

Dawn has learnt that utility stores are also short of sugar while over 1,000 bakeries' owners have announced strike against non-availability of the commodity.

Muhammad Aslam, president of sweets and bakeries association, said most of the outlets in the district had been closed. He said all sweets and bakeries owners would observe a strike on Nov 2 (today). “Sugar dealers are associated with ruling parties and are exploiting the situation.”

This correspondent came to know during a survey that retailers were not selling sugar. Some shopkeepers were found selling the commodity at Rs60 per kg. They were giving only one kilo sugar to their specific customers. Some of the utility stores managers at Chak No.46 on PAF and College roads expressed their inability to tell the reasons as to why they were not selling sugar to their customers.

“This matter does not relate to us as it is a policy matter which is decided by highups,” said a utility store manager requesting anonymity.

He admitted that many stores did not sell the commodity for the last one week.

A cook at a local hotel said “The district administration and utility stores regional manager are kind and favouring hotels and marriage halls, regularly supplying sugar in bulk.”

ROBBERS HELD Police claimed on Saturday to have arrested two robbers who had allegedly snatched a truck laden with edible oil after killing three people, including its driver, on Oct 14 near 107-SB.

Atta Shaheed police found bodies of Sajjad, Tabidar Rehman and Baba Rehmat in a cane field near Chak No 107-SB. On Saturday, police succeeded to trace the blind robbery murder and arrested two dacoits Aamir Shahbaz and Shahid Javed of Narowal. The police also recovered the truck laden with edible oil worth Rs1.5 million.

The police said truck driver Baba Rehman, Sajjad and Tabidar were on their way when the accused stopped them and drove away with the truck after killing them on offering resistance. — Correspondent