HYDERABAD, Nov 15: Hundreds of cane growers of Tando Allahyar laid a siege to Mehran Sugar Mill on Saturday to press the management of the mill to clear their dues of around Rs110 million outstanding against it for the last cane season.

The growers were led by Haji Azizullah Memon, Mumtaz Halepoto, Khalid Kaimkhani, Nadeem Kaimkhani and others. They were raising slogans for the payment of their dues and holding mill management responsible for causing them monetary losses.

The growers claimed that they don’t want to destroy mills because it was an asset for Tando Allahyar which is known for its fertile agricultural land in Sindh but rapped Mehran Sugar Mills’ management for avoiding payment of their dues that had accumulated as a result of two different rates, notified by Sindh government for per 40 kg cane due to pressure exerted by millers.

Memon said that as per growers’ estimate, an amount of Rs110 million is to be paid to them for supply of cane at two different government’s rates last year. He said cane growers of Sindh also demand payment of quality premium dues of Rs2 billion against mills management all over Sindh.

He said that until January 20, rate of Rs67 per 40 kg was in existence but they were paid Rs63 per maund by the mill management, leaving a difference of Rs4 on 40 kg cane. When government reduced the rate of cane to Rs63 per maund, the growers were paid Rs60, indicating a difference of Rs3 per 40kg by the same mills management.

The growers then blocked Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas road where police also arrived. Police brought general manager Ehteshamuddin for holding negotiations with the protesting growers after they undertook not to harass or manhandle him.

Later, an eight-member delegation comprising Azizullah Memon, Mumtaz Halepoto, Khalid Kaimkhani, Nadeem Kaimkhani, Sajjad Memon and others held talks with general manager in the mills. He said that he would speak to mills owners in this regard. The growers said that they would wait until November 25 and then they would themselves run the mill.

Memon told Dawn over phone that if their dues were not cleared, they would take over the mill to run it on their own after Nov 25.

He said that majority of growers were not supplying cane to it due to the ongoing controversy.