NAWABSHAH, Aug 9: Hundreds of sugarcane growers demonstrated after taking out a rally on Saturday against non-payment of dues by a sugar mills.

The rally began from the Shahpur Jehanian Press Club on National Highway and culminated outside the Al-Noor Sugar Mills after staging a sit-in there. Protesters carrying banners and placards raised slogans against mills administration.

Arumal, Teerath Mal, Fareed Kalhoro, Urs Dahiri, Syed Hussain Shah and others of the Sindh Abadgar Tahreek said that the Al-Noor sugar mills not only made deductions from growers’ dues last year but also failed to pay the officially-fixed cane rate of Rs67 per maund this year.

They said that they were also deprived of quality premium payment and other dues amounting to million of rupees since years and demanded the mills to provide them with subsidy in transport, fertilisers and seed.

“Cane growers are facing financial crisis due to non-payment of difference of price and illegal deductions by sugar mills,” they said.

“Habib Sugar Mills has cleared all dues according to the government rate of Rs63 and also returned deductions but Al-Noor appears reluctant”, growers complained.

They demanded of the Chief Minister Sindh and Cane Commissioner to direct the administration and management to clear their dues and also fixed Rs100 as new rate in the coming season.

Growers warned of blocking the National Highway if their demands were not accepted soon.

No official at the mills was available for comments.

Self-immolation: A man trying to commit self-immolation because of unemployment was rescued on Friday.

Father of a son and two daughters, 30-year-old Mumtaz Ali Keerio set himself ablaze after dousing with kerosene oil in Loung Khan Keerio village near Nawabshah Airport for failing to secure a job.

Family members and relatives rescued him and later took him to the Nawabshah Medical College Hospital. He received 30 per cent burns and was out of danger, said Dr Imtiaz of Surgical Unit-II.