KHAIRPUR, Dec 8: The growers in Sobhodero, Kotdiji and Hingorja talukas continued their protest on the second consecutive day on Saturday in protest against sugar mills’ refusal to pay them official rate of sugarcane.

The protesters led by the secretary of the Khairpur Abadgar Ittehad Faqir Niaz Bhambhro staged a demonstration in Kotdiji against the administrations of Khairpur and Ranipur sugar mills and told journalists that the mills were paying them Rs50 per 40 kilogramme of sugarcane instead of Rs67 per 40kg fixed by the government.

They said that the mills were also deducting extra charges for weighing the sugarcane.

In Sobhodero, the protesters led by Jamal Mehmood Khuhro continued their protest demonstration and said that the mills were committing excesses against the growers by paying them less than the officla rate.

They said that first the mills delayed start of crushing season, which in turn delayed sowing of wheat dealing them a blow, because they would not be able to sow even the late variety of wheat.

Growers in Hingorja also staged a demonstration against less payment of sugarcane to the growers.

INJURED: Armed robbers injured five people including three women when they resisted their attempt to rob them in Pir Bux Keerio village near Bozdar Wada town on Friday night.