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Committee set up to

probe sugar shortage

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The Sindh Cabinet has set up a committee to ascertain the causes of the shortage of sugar in the province. This was stated by Senior Minister Syed Pervaiz Ali Shah, while announcing the decisions of the Sindh Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister, at a Press conference held at his office on Tuesday.

The senior minister stated that the said committee to be headed by Agriculture Minister Murad Ali Shah will collect the figures of sugar production by various mills during this season. The Committee will also ascertain that how much sugar has been sold by these mills. He said that this committee will submit its report within two weeks time.

He said that the Cabinet decided to take stern action against those found involved in the blackmarketing or creating artificial shortage of sugar in the province. The minister said that sugar is available now at all Utility Stores throughout the province at the rate of Rs.12.50 per kg and the Government will ensure its availability to consumers at the fixed price.

Pervaiz Ali Shah also said that the Cabinet also decided to computerise the office of registration of motor vehicles and a central office having the registration numbers of the all the vehicle in the province will be set up in the next financial year.

He said that under this new set-up all the five districts will have sub-registration offices which will register the vehicles of people living in their district.

He said that the decision to computerize the registration of motor vehicles has been taken in view of the menace of car-snatching. The Minister for Water and Power, Haji Zafar Ali Khan Leghari, who was also present at the press conference, said that the Sindh Government has decided to distribute relief fund to the flood victims on the directive of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

He said those whose houses were damaged during the flood will be given Rs.5,000 while those who lost their dear and near ones will be given Rs.50,000.

Haji Zafar Leghari said that about 38 to 40 persons have been killed in the flood which hit Dadu and other districts in the province.

He also said that the Cabinet decided to abolish the contract system for catching the fish in Manchar Lake and Kinjar Lake with a view to facilitating the fishermen. He said the abolition of contract will be effective from the next financial year.

He further said that Sindh Cabinet has set up a committee to look into the sale of Sindh Government land to the Federal Government as some irregularities have been found in this regard. He said that some landlords are reported to have taken possession of cultivated lands or have taken the possession of forests against their arid lands.

He said the committee to be headed by Pervaiz Ali Shah will submit its report within two weeks to the Sindh Chief Minister.