LAHORE: The Punjab cane commissioner has served legal notices on 27 sugar mills in the province for not paying over Rs29 billion in dues to sugarcane growers.

A spokesman for Commissioner Umar Sher Chathha said here on Friday that legal notices have been issued to 27 sugar mills for non-payment of sugarcane farmers. These include Ashraf, Adam, Abdullah, Al-Mueez, Al-Arabiya, Darya Khan, Ittehad, Fatima, Ganj Bakhsh, Hunza-II, Hamza, Indus, Joharabad, Jamal Din Wali-I, Kashmir, Noon, Popular, Rasool Nawaz, Ramazan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikhoo, Seven Star, Shah Taj, Shikarganj-I, Shika­rganj-I, Shika­rganj-II, Tariq Corporation, and Tandlianwala-II sugar mills

The spokesperson said that the delayed amount with these sugar mills is more than Rs29.3 billion, and they have been instructed to make payments within seven days after receipt of the notice as per the law or face legal action under the Punjab Sugar Factories Control (Amendment) Act of 1950.

Clause 13(2) of the Act requires that sugar mills transfer the amount of the cane purchased into the bank account of the growers concerned within 15 days of the purchase.

If the defaulting sugar mills do not pay the farmers within the next seven days, action will be taken by the cane commissioner against them as per the Punjab Sugar Factories Control Amen­dment Act of 1950.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2023