HYDERABAD, Sept 2: A joint meeting of various growers’ bodies of Sindh, including the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Sindh Abadgar Board and Sugarcane Growers Association, was held at the Kachhelo House, Karachi, on Sunday to discuss the problems confronting the sugarcane growers of the province.

As per the proceedings of the meeting faxed to Dawn, the meeting called upon the Sindh government to expedite the constitution of the Sugarcane Control Board and to ensure the implementation of the Sindh Cabinet decision that all the sugar mills will start the crushing season latest by Oct 25.

It further demanded that the sugar mills should clear the outstanding arrears of cane growers amounting to Rs1.4 billion as per the decision of the Sindh government.

It recalled that the Sindh government had clearly notified that the mill owners would pay Rs43 per 40kg to the growers.

It expressed concern that many sugar mills had failed to implement the decision, which had created a host of problems for the growers.

It particularly mentioned the Al-Noor, Al-Abbas, Mehran, Sakrand, Mirpurkhas and Digri Sugar Mills regarding it.

It demanded the government to force these sugar mills to clear the dues of the growers latest by Sept 15.

The meeting was presided over by SSGA President Syed Qurban Ali Shah, MNA, and attended by MNAs Syed Aftab Shah Jeelani, Yousuf Talpur, SAB Chief Abdul Majeed Nizamani, Anwar Bachani, Aslam Baloch, Khair Mohammad Junejo and others.

MINORITIES: The president, Minority Rabita Council, Boota Imtiaz Masih, has urged the minorities to forge unity in their rank and file with a view to launching a joint struggle for their rights.