MUZAFFARGARH: The district administration sealed two private weighbridges and cases were registered against their owners for buying sugarcane at low rates from farmers here on Thursday.

Assistant Commissioner Dr Saifullah Bhatti and district labour officer Tahir Gurchani paid a surprise visit to the two measurement bridges in Chowk Qureshi where the sugarcane was being bought at low rates on net payment.

The AC said he was informed that private measurement scales had their own rate of sugarcane whichwas Rs140 to Rs150 per 40kg.

He said the Chowk Qureshi police had registered cases against owners Saleem and Yousuf.

Sources said that some officials of sugar mills were involved in this illegal work as they advised farmers to sell their yield to private scales on net payment.

The season of sugarcane is at its peak and owners of these measurement scales earn millions of rupees every year.

A mill employee said that they had written an application to the district administration for taking action against private measurement bridges, but to no avail. He claimed that sugar mills employees were notinvolve d in the illegal business.

DCO Hafiz Shaukat Ali said teams headed by ACs were formed which would take action against owners of illegal measurement bridges.

DACOIT KILLED: A notorious dacoit carrying a bounty of Rs2 million on his head was killed in an encounter in Shahwala forest on Thursday.

Headed by DPO Malik Awais Ahmad, a police team reached the spot after getting a lead that some dacoits were present there. Seeing police, the dacoits opened fire which was returned. Consequently, a dacoit, later identified as Usman Jatoi, was killed.

The DPO said the dead dacoit was wanted in over a dozen cases of heinous crimes in three districts.