MIRPURKHAS, May 20: Sugarcane growers have threatened to launch a protest movement against sugar mill owners if they do not pay their arrears, amounting to Rs750 million, and government-fixed rate for sugarcane.

The decision was taken at a joint meeting of the Sindh Abadgar Board and Sindh Progressive Growers’ Association (SPGA) held here the other day.

Speaking on the occasion, SAB general secretary Imtiaz Panhwar and SPGA president Rais Ahmed Khan said that it seemed that managements of the sugar mills were stronger than the Sindh government since they were not complying with the government directives to pay the farmers’ arrears and fixed sugarcane rate.

The meeting threatened that if the arrears were not paid in 15 days, the sugarcane growers would take to streets and launch a movement against sugar mills.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Sindh government had issued fresh directives to the district coordination officers and the cane commissioner to take strict action against those sugar mills owners who had not paid arrears of the growers.

ARREST DEMANDED: The Irrigation Permanent Field Employee Union (IPFEU) Mirpurkhas has called upon the police authorities to arrest the accused of an attack on an irrigation inspector who was maltreated by the henchmen of an influential landlord, Zahid Bugti.