Punjab govt using ‘delaying’ tactics in provision of sugar mills data to FIA: report

LAHORE: Credible sources on Tuesday told The News the Punjab government was using delaying tactics to provide the sugar crushing, stocks, ex-mill prices and other data required by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) inquiry committee.

The committee, headed by Director General Wajid Zia, has been probing the increase in sugar prices on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan to identify the mafia involved in the sugar crisis in the country.

According to the publication, the FIA DG had asked the provincial governments (cane commissioners) to provide the required data in a performa, provided by the investigation committee. However, the Punjab cane commissioner was using delaying tactics for provision of the data, according to the official documents available with The News.

Sugar crisis: Khawaja Asif says 45% mill owners are from PTI

The DG, on Feb 25, 2020, vide letter No PS/DG/FIA/2020/354, asked for providing the data to the FIA. In the letter, written to the Punjab chief secretary, Zia asked to be provided with data of daily sugarcane crushed and the stock positions of the sugar mills from Nov 30, 2019, to Feb 25, 2020, of all 40 sugar mills operating in the province.

However, after non-provision of the data by the Punjab cane commissioner, the DG FIA, on Feb 29, 2020, wrote another letter to the Punjab chief secretary, stating that the cane commissioner Punjab did not provide the team with the required data.

The FIA gave the authorities until March 2, 2020, to submit the required data. The letter stated that sugar crushing and stock position data was requested from 30-11-2019 to 25-02-2020 while the Punjab cane commissioner furnished only data of 25-02-2020.

Read also: Land illegally occupied by Sharif family recovered

It further stated that information of sugarcane crushing, stocks position of all 40 mills was sought from Punjab but it furnished only seven mills’ details and data of 33 remaining sugar mills was missing.

The letter noted that the information provided about the Shakarganj sugar mills was not as per shared format. Furthermore, it was pointed out that the information provided in Annexure-F was also not as per the format, provided by the FIA.

The FIA DG also asked for sharing the average ex-mill price of sugar for the last three years (month-wise). It also sought specific information regarding closed mills with data of closure.

The FIA also asked submission of the Urban Unit report for the third-party monitoring of sugar production, supplies and prices. The data of per day ethanol production of the sugar mills was also sought.

However, sources in the FIA and the Punjab government confirmed to The News that the Punjab cane commissioner was unable to furnish the required data asked by the DG FIA till the given deadline.

The FIA official said DG Zia was concerned about non-furnishing of the required data in given time-frame and he might take up the issue with the Punjab chief secretary.

Read also: After wheat shortage, Pakistan now faces sugar crisis

When contacted, Cane Commissioner Punjab Wajid Ali Shah said that data was being provided to the FIA on a daily basis. He said that earlier data was sent to the FIA and now they had asked for further data.

He confirmed that some data was shared while remaining would also be shared. "Some data will be shared tonight (Monday night),” he said adding that further data would be shared as it was the mandate of the inquiry team to gather all required data and analyse it.

He confirmed that three to four letters had been received from the FIA for data sharing and the department was sharing it accordingly.

Originally published in The News