ISLAMABAD : In a step towards proving relief to masses, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday directed authorities to ensure availability of sugar at Rs70 per kg for domestic consumers. According to details, Ministry of Industries and Production has written a letter to Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA), directing to ensure supply of sugar at Rs70 per kg. Ensure availability of sugar at Rs70 per kg for domestic consumers at all utility stores across the country, reads the letter written to sugar mills association. In this regard, a copy of the letter has been sent to all Chief Secretaries, Utility Stores and Pakistan Sugar Mills Association. Meanwhile, the USC had also written a letter to the PSMA to provide it sugar at the rate of Rs 63 per kg so that it could be sold at Rs 70 per kg to the consumers to provide them relief, official sources said on Saturday. The Ministry of Industries, in its letter to the PSMA, quoted the order of IHC stating that “this order be subject to selling the sugar to the non-commercial consumer at the rate of Rs 70 per kilogram”, and the PSMA and the Federal Government should “ensure that sugar is available and sold to the non-commercial consumer at the rate of Rs 70 per kilogram till the next date fixed.” “In line with specific provision, the association may immediately make arrangements to ensure provision of sugar at Utility Stores Corporation at the prices already conveyed vide USC letter NO.009-Estab/Gen/2019/44 dated date 12th June 2020 so that the corporation can retail it at Rs 70 per kilogram,” the ministry said in the letter. It also directed the association to ensure that in other retail outlets also sugar was sold to non-commercial consumers at the specified price. Earlier, in a separate letter, the USC had also suggested that the PSMA should provide sugar to it at a rate not more than Rs 63 per kilogram, in order to provide relief to the common citizens. The USC had also requested the PSMA to treat the matter urgent and inform accordingly about the decision taken by it latest by June 14. It is pertinent to mention here that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday had issued directives to sell sugar at the rate of Rs70/kg for the next 10 days. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted hearing of the petition moved by Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and issued a 10-day stay order, barring the government from taking action on the sugar inquiry commission report. The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) had challenged the inquiry commission’s report over sugar crisis in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The petition filed by the sugar mill owners in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had made the federal government, inquiry commission’s head Wajid Zia and others as parties.
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