September 16, 2007	Sunday	Ramazan 03, 1428

HYDERABAD, Sept 15: Growers have urged the Sindh government to fix sugarcane price at Rs70 per 40 kilogramme before the crushing season begins in the province this October and waive off sugar cess levied at a rate of 0.25 paisa per 40 kg sugarcane.

A delegation of growers from various districts of the province met with Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim in Karachi on Friday to persuade the government to fix sugarcane price at Rs70 per 40 kg, said a participant of the meeting on Saturday.

He said that the government wanted to fix prices somewhere between Rs67 and Rs70 but the growers were adamant that the millers should pay them Rs70. The crushing season is to begin in the province between Oct 15 and 20.

The chief minister had assured the delegation that he would try his best to solve the issue in an amicable manner, he said and added that the meeting discussed expected sugarcane production this year and possibility of sugar import by the federal government.

Besides discussing sugarcane, the growers also urged the chief minister to waive off recovery of 0.25 paisa on sugar cess 40kg cane from both the millers and the growers and believed its utilisation had always been questionable.

The sugar cess was meant to be utilised in the construction of roads in the cane producing districts. Sindh government released the funds collected under sugar cess to the district governments for construction of roads to put in place infrastructure for smooth transportation of the cane produce, he said.

The growers also raised the issue of collection of land revenue and taxes last year despite the fact that the chief minister had declared certain districts as calamity-hit.

The chief minister promised to look into the issues and directed the officials concerned to submit a report to this effect. He also assured them that the issue of dues outstanding against millers would be taken up with millers in a separate meeting to be held shortly, he said.

ACQUITTED: The additional district judge-II on Saturday acquitted local leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (Shahhed Bhutto) Ali Ahmed Palepoto of charges of being involved in the murder 14 years ago of then superintendent of central jail, giving him the benefit of doubt.

The judge Mr Amjad Ali Bohyo Palepoto examined half a dozen prosecution witnesses including Dr Akbar Adil, Major (Rtd) Ghulam Hussain Khoso, inspectors Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh and Arshad, Makhmoor, Salim Rind, orderly of jail chief Major Khoso, and a doctor.

A case was lodged at Baldia police station after Major Khoso’s car was ambushed a few yards away from his residence in front of the outer wall of central prison on April 14, 1993.

Palepoto was not identified by eye-witnesses including Dr Akbar Adil, who had earlier told police that he knew three people who had collided with his vehicle but Palepoto was not one of them.