HYDERABAD, Nov 5: A large number of growers of Tando Allahyar held a sit-in on the Tando Allahyar-Tando Adam road on Wednesday in protest against illegal deductions and non-payment of dues to growers by the Mehran Sugar Mills.

The protesters led by Azizullah Memon, Yousuf Memon and Noor Hussain Pitafi said that the mills had illegally made deductions during the 2007-08 crushing season and failed to pay dues to a large number of growers.

They demanded that the government direct the sugar mills to clear growers’ dues.

On the other hand, the general manager (cane) of the Mehran Sugar Mills, Syed Ihteshamuddin told journalists that the mills had provided mark-up free seed valued at Rs20 million to growers and supplied them 30,000 bags of fertiliser at government rates despite acute shortage of the commodity in open market.

He claimed that the mills owed growers only a small amount which would be paid soon and all the issues would be solved through negotiations.—Bureau