FAISALABAD, Feb 8: Four sugar mills in Faisalabad district have failed in their responsibility to pay dues to thousands of sugarcane growers who are running from pillar to post to get their rightful share.

It is learnt that the Punjab Sugar Factories Control Rules 1950 section 14 (2) bound millers to make payment to growers within a fortnight of the sugarcane delivery. Under rule 14 (10) of the same law, millers are also liable to pay 11 per cent interest per annum after the expiry of the scheduled payment period.

Sources said millers never bothered to comply with clear-cut instructions prescribed by the government and they stopped the payment to growers without any reason.

They said that four mills had withheld Rs214 million payment of thousands of the poor farmers. Gojra Samundri Sugar Mills, Samundri, is the defaulter of Rs60.25 million; Crescent Mills of Rs48.79 million; Channar Sugar Mills, Tandlianwala, of Rs78.96 million; and Hussein Sugar Mills, Jaranwala, of Rs26 million.

When helpless growers invited the interference of the Punjab Cane Commissioner, he issued notices to the mills on Sept 29 last year for clearance of payment to growers, directing them further to submit him a report in this regard within the stipulated period. However, the directions have fallen on deaf ears and millers still seem not gear up to clear the dues of farmers.

A cane grower, requesting anonymity, said that since millers had an access to power corridors, the repeated requests by the cane commissioner had no bearing on them.

Sources said the cane commissioner could exercise his powers delegated to him under section 21 against the millers, if he found them violating the laws. It was rarely a case that any sugar mills held responsible for defying laws were fined, they said.

Being an additional cane commissioner, they said the DCO had also been asked to ensure payment to growers before concluding of the current crushing season.

When contacted, a district officer gave out that owners of these sugar mills had strong links with politicians and bureaucrats and officials could hardly afford to call in question their managements.

He said the notices received from the cane commissioner were forwarded to subordinates for fulfilling official formalities. However, he claimed that millers had started clearing their outstanding dues.

Before the introduction of the devolution system, he said that magistrates were powerful enough to get cleared the dues of cane growers.