LAHORE: Dialogue between the Punjab government and sugar mills owners over the price of sugar ended up successfully and the two sides reached a decision that the mills would sell sugar to the government at the rate of Rs 140 per kilogram. A delegation of sugar mills owners met Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi here on Sunday. The CM announced that sugar would be sold at special stalls at centres, model and Sunday bazaars to provide relief to people. Reduction in sugar price would directly benefit people of Punjab, he added.It was decided in the meeting to start sugarcane crushing season from October 28. The delegation briefed the CM that sufficient stock of sugar was available.The delegation of sugar mills owners consisted of Haroon Akhtar, Zaka Ashraf, Fawad Mukhtar and others.Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Syed Mohsin Naqvi has said that the standards of education at government schools could be raised in collaboration with the private sector and welfare organisations. He was talking to a six-member delegation of Muslim Hands Pakistan, which, led by its Chairman Syed Lakht Hasnain, called on him at the Chief Minister’s House on Sunday. Briefing the CM about the activities of the organization, the chairman said that Muslim Hands was running 117 schools in Punjab. “Out of these, there are 18 schools of excellence while 35 are model schools,” he explained. “Similarly, we are running different projects in health and education sectors in different districts of south Punjab,” he said, and added, “Market-based IT skills are being imparted to the youth so that they could become self-reliant.” The chief minister, on the occasion, ordered that 1, 000 schools of Punjab be handed over to the Muslim Hands. Likewise, he ordered the concerned officials to make arrangements for signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Punjab government and the organisation within a week. The meeting also discussed the suggestion to hand over orphanages to the Muslim Hands. CM Naqvi told the visitors that with their cooperation the provincial government would consider upgrading emergency wards of Punjab’s large hospitals. “We will encourage private sector’s efforts for improvement in health and education sectors,” he announced. Muslim Hands chairman said that the organization was ready to serve masses in collaboration with the Punjab government.
