HYDERABAD, Aug 7: Industrialists have been asked to provide assistance to university scholars for the development of industrial sector. The plea was made by the Vice Chancellor, University of Sindh, Mazahar-ul-Haq Siddiqui, during his presidential remarks at the final PhD seminar on motivation among workers and its implications on the security of organisation: A case study of Matiari Sugar Mills at the Sindh Development Study Centre (SDSC), on Tuesday.

The VC said research played an important role in the development of concerned areas while cannot be achieved without research.

He said people belonging to industry should come forward along with academia and work with collective zeal to boost industrial production.

He called upon the academic to extend cooperation to interested people of the industry for guidance and assistance in research study.

The VC appreciated research work of the scholar and said the topic selected by him was closely related to the daily life of the people and their budget.

Research scholar Junaid Akbar Shah highlighting on his thesis said research confirms that sugar industry was one of the leading agro-based contributing 1.9 per cent to the GDP.

He said out of 70 per cent labour in agriculture sector, 35 per cent was employed by sugar industry and added that it was major contributor to national exchequer through its products and by-products.

He said his study aimed at exploring linkages between motivation among workers in agro business and security management.

Explaining research objectives, he said his entire research intended to examine theoretical relationship between the levels of motivation among employees, organisational security and productivity.

The researcher said that through his research he reviewed analytically the role of agro-based industries such as sugar mills in the economic development of Sindh, in particular and Pakistan in general.

He said the study examined relationship between motivational levels among workers and security concerns with productivity in sugar industry.

He said agro-base industries such as sugar mills were significant contributors to Sindh’s economy. Labour force was significantly higher in sugar mills to that of any other agro-based industry. Provincial industry contributes around Rs5 billion every year to the exchequer in the shape of taxes, he added.

He informed that the sugar industry was the second largest industry as 82 mills were functioning with 34 in Sindh.

He said this industry occupies 5th position in sugarcane production, 7th in sugar production and 8th in consumption in the world.

He said the industry had a capacity to produce 5.5 to 6.5 million tons of sugar annually and was capable of generating its own power and does not require electricity from nation grid.

Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh; Guide of Researcher Dr Parvez Pathan; Co-guide Dr Abida Tahrani; research scholars, heads, faculty members and students of various institutes departments attended the seminar.—APP