HYDERABAD, Feb 11: Farmers have accused the management of Seri Sugar Mills of holding back their dues to the tune of tens of millions of rupees and issuing fake cheques.

Hyderabad Rural Taluka Nazim Khawand Bux Jahejo, Mir Imdad Ali Talpur and other farmers said at a news conference that reluctance of Seri Sugar Mills to make payments had put farmers in financial crisis since December 15, 2007.

They accused the management of issuing fake cheques dishonoured by banks. Taluka Nazim Khawand Bux Jahejo showed the proof of a dud cheque of Rs163,000 issued by the mills on January 7, 2000 drawn on the MCB’s Tando Mohammad Khan branch.

Jahejo said an amount of Rs350 million of growers was outstanding against the mills putting them into severe financial crisis. He said the management was making illegal deduction on sugarcane by purchasing it at the rate of Rs48 per 40kg in flagrant violation of government notification.

Jahejo appealed to the prime minister and Sindh chief minister and cane commissioner to take notice of the Seri sugar Mills’ illegalities and excesses.

He said the mill management will be responsible if any unpleasant situation arises out of their rigid attitude.

SAB: Sindh Abadgar Board President Abdul Majeed Nizamani has appealed to Sindh Chief Minister to shelve any proposal of taking out an outlet from Akram Wah to irrigate deficit areas of Sukkur Barrage. He said some 400,000 acres to be irrigated through Sukkur Barrage were being fed by Phulelli Canal and Akram Wah as a result the area to be irrigated through Kotri Barrage was converted into a desert.

In a communication addressed to Sindh Chief Minister, the SAB President said Akram Wah was already a deficit channel of Kotri Barrage and most branches taking off from this channel cannot supply the required quantity of water to growers.