HYDERABAD, April 16: The Sindh Sugarcane Growers Association has criticized the government for its failure to honour its own commitment regarding payment to growers and termed it ironical that the government had also failed to implement the decision of the Sindh High Court.

A joint statement, signed by the president of the association, MNA Syed Qurban Ali Shah, and secretary-general Ghulam Nabi Morai, issued here on Tuesday, expressed concern over the non-payment of agreed upon price and quality premium despite the Sindh government’s notification dated Dec 24, 2002.

Previously, mill owners had agreed in presence of the Sindh chief minister to pay sugarcane growers Rs43 per 40 kilogrammes and 50 paisa for every percentage point of sucrose content recovered beyond 8.5 per cent.

On the one hand, they said, they were not even being paid the first instalment amounting to Rs40 per 40 kilogrammes against their produce enabling them to repay loans, while on the other hand growers were being arrested for defaults on loans and other government dues.

The association’s office-bearers regretted that the agriculture sector was not being supported despite the fact that this sector alone contributed 25 per cent towards the gross domestic product and that nearly 70 per cent of the population was dependent on agriculture.

Stressing the need for amending the Sindh Sugarcane Factories Act 1950 to ensure prompt payment to growers, they said that the Act clearly stated that the growers’ dues would be recovered as land revenue from sugar mill owners if they failed to make timely payment.

They threatened to launch a protest campaign if the Sindh government continued to play the role of a silent spectator regarding payment to growers.

Rejecting the proposal of reviving the zonal system of sugar mills in the province, they said that the Sindh agriculture department was preparing draft on the subject without taking the Association into confidence.

They said that any such move would harm the interests of growers and would only benefit the sugar mills.

The association reminded that the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court had already declared the zoning system as being bad because of its being against the fundamental human rights.