MIRPURKHAS, Dec 1: A large number of growers held a demonstration outside the Mirpurkhas Sugar Mills to protest against non-payment of quality premium and sugar cane dues amounting Rs3.5 billion against four sugar mills of Mirpurkhas district.

They were led by PPP MNA and the president, Sindh Sugarcane Growers Association, Syed Qurban Ali Shah.

The growers took out their procession in tractor trolleys, buses, vans, coasters and cars. Passing through the main roads from Satellite Town, Mirpurkhas, they reached the sugar mills.

The protesters blocked a section of the Mirpurkhas-Umerkot road for half an hour and raised slogans against the sugar mills’ owners.

Mr Shah, while addressing the protesters outside the Mirpurkhas Sugar Mills, said that about Rs3.5 billion in arrears remained outstanding against four sugar mills of Mirpurkhas on account of quality premium and sugarcane dues.

He said that Sindh’s rural economy was facing an acute crisis owing to artificial water shortage, low rate of products and late starting of crushing by the sugar mills.

He said that Rs56.5 million remained outstanding against the Al-Abbas Sugar Mills, Mirwah, on account of quality premium and Rs9.90 million as sugarcane price.

He said that Rs40 million remained in arrears against the Digri Sugar Mills as premium quality and Rs21.13 million as sugarcane price.

He said that Rs31.42 million and Rs26.42 million remained outstanding against the Tharparkar Sugar Mills for quality premium and arrears of sugarcane respectively.

He said that Rs104.65 of the growers remained outstanding against the Mirpurkhas Sugar Mills.

Mr Shah said that both growers and landlords were facing an acute financial crisis.

The owners of the Mirpurkhas Sugar Mills, Tarique Farooque and Aslam Farooque, came out from their mill and held negotiations with the protesters.

The mill owners assured their leaders that outstanding quality premium would be paid to the growers in December, while the arrears of sugar cane would be paid by the end of January, 2004.

The assistant cane commissioner, Mirpurkhas, was also present on the occasion.