SC directs LHC to decide sugar price matter in 15 days

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sent a case pertaining to fixing the price of sugar back to the Lahore High Court to decide it within 15 days.

An apex court bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, also granted conditional permission to the producers to sell the commodity at the ex-mill rate fixed by the government.

The central government had filed an appeal in the top court last week against the high court’s verdict of August 3 regarding sugar price.

The court also ordered that the sugar mills should voluntarily deposit the difference between the amount fixed by the government and the ex-mill rate of the commodity in the high court until settlement of the issue.

Earlier, an additional attorney general informed the court the government has fixed the ex-mill rate of sugar at Rs84 a kilogram, while the ex-mill price is Rs97.

“Sugar mills depositing surety bonds is not sufficient,” the court said. The court also directed the concerned cane commissioner to compile the record of sugar stock and sale.