RAHIM YAR KHAN: A large number of cane growers staged a peaceful protest against sugar mills owners and the district administration over prolonged delay in crushing season and blocked the National Highway at Iqbalabad for three hours on Sunday.

The growers gathered on the highway under the banner of self-organised “Kashtkar Ittehad” where Jam Umair Burrara, Hasan Mehmood and Hussain Ahmed Madni spoke to them.

They said that five local sugar mills had yet to start crushing season that was due in October, deploring the district administration was playing the role of silent spectator.

They said because of the delay, their sugarcane crop was being damaged and they could not get the money from its sale to the mills for sowing next crop.

Criticise leaders of old organisations for cancelling Nov 5 protest

They also criticised the district cane committee, saying it was dysfunctional and doing nothing for the sugarcane farmers.

Condemning the leaders of five farmers’ bodies for cancelling a protest earlier announced by them for November 5, they alleged that these leaders had cheated them and joined hands with the district administration.

The new organisation demanded that the sugar mills should start crushing season from November 10 and rate of sugarcane should be fixed at Rs250 per maund, permits should be issued on merit after eliminating the role of middleman and toll plaza fee should be abolished for the farmers.

A leader of the body, Jam Umair, said that no official of district administration visited the protesters for negotiations.

He, however, added that Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Mahar Khalid had conveyed an assurance to the protesters through DSP Khalid Masood Bhatti that the issue would be addressed soon as the Deputy Commissioner Sucrat Amman Rana was in Lahore to discuss it with the high-ups.

He said that after the assurance the cane growers called off the protest.

Five farmers bodies -- Kissan Board Pakistan (KBP), Anjuman Kashtkaran Punjab (AKP), Agri Forum Pakistan (AFP), Kissan Ittehad Pakistan (KIP) and Taraqipasand Kashtkaran Punjab (TKP) had given a protest call for November 5 some 10 days back. However, the protest call was later withdrawn.

AFP tehsil president Arshad Rehmat alleged that some of the farmers leaders, after a secret meeting with the district administration, withdrew the Nov 5 protest call without taking others on board.

A response from the DC was awaited for his version till filing of the story.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2017