HYDERABAD, Aug 13: Sugar mills in Sindh have been directed to pay outstanding dues of cane growers without further delay.

Cane Commissioner Islamabad, Inayatullah Khan gave the directives while addressing the members of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) and Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB), on Wednesday. He also assured the growers of Sindh that their problems would be brought to the notice of concerned authorities in Islamabad.

Growers association had complained to Cane Commissioner of Pakistan that billions of rupees were outstanding against the 27 sugar mills since long.

The SCA and SAB office-bearers told the meeting that even Prime Minister and Sindh Chief Minister had taken notice of the delay in payments, while sugar mills paid no heed to their orders.

Growers could not buy fertilisers and pesticides for new crops because of non-payment of their dues, they said and added: ‘The new crop of sugarcane is also being seriously affected.”

They called for announcing the new crushing season from Oct 15 to facilitate growers for sowing wheat crop on the land vacated by sugarcane.

They warned of stopping sugarcane cultivation and besieging mills if crushing season was delayed.

The commissioner said that the Sindh government will be approached for failing to ensure implementation of the Sugar cane Act and directed Sindh mills to begin cane crushing season from Oct 15. He said production was on the increase as cane was being cultivated on 8.7 million acres.

PEPCO: Adviser, Pakistan Electric Power Company has directed Hesco officials of Operation Circle-I Hyderabad to secure all meters in Garhi Khata division, launch operation against power theft and recover all outstanding dues.

While presiding over a meeting on Wednesday, he received briefing on the recovery position from SDOs. He stressed the need for 100 per cent recovery of revenue and reduction in line losses.

Director General Commercial Wapda, Ikramul Haq Soomro was also present who told SDOs not to issue wrong or inflated bills and immediately disconnect illegal connections along with imposing penalty on cheaters.Wapda officials also visited many areas in Gari Khata along with Hesco Chief, Guftar Ahmed Anjum. They also visited the power despatch control centre and took briefing on Hesco network.

Director Finance Hesco, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

Inquiry: An inquiry has been ordered into the poor functioning of newly laid sewerage lines at Anwar Villas, Faraz Villas, and Muslim Society Qasimabad.

The DCO issued the orders while visiting the Sheedi Goth pumping station Qasimabad to supervise disposal of rain effluent on Tuesday night. He realised the pumping station was capable of disposing of bulk sewerage effluent but inter-connecting sewerage lines from Anwar Villas, Faraz Villas and Muslim Society Qasimabad failed to carry rain effluent to pumping station at the designed velocity resulting in the blockage and overflow in sewerage system. However, the accumulated rainwater was disposed of, after a while.

The DCO also visited the pumping stations and said the staff and machinery of Wasa had disposed of rain effluent properly and by working round-the-clock.