MUZAFFARGARH, Dec 20: Turning a blind eye by the district government allows officials of the sugar mills to plunder the poor farmers with both hands.

In the Muzaffargarh district, there are three sugar mills and each mill is offering different rates of cane to the farmers, much to their (farmers) disadvantage.

Sources said several officials of sugar mills were harassing farmers to sell their produce at private sale points only.

They were told that those selling canes directly to mills would get their dues after a week or a fortnight while the private sale points would pay them on the spot.

These private points, established by officials of sugar mills, were looting the farmers by purchasing the cane between Rs65 and Rs75 per 40kg as against the Rs80 per kg offered by sugar mills.

A group of growers alleged that the district government did not check the weighing scales of these private sale points as most of them weighed less causing a heavy loss to farmers.

They demanded that the chief secretary and cane commissioner should visit Muzaffargarh to take stock of the situation.

PML-N leader Malik Khalid Khar said he had written a letter to the chief secretary to visit the district and take strict action against the mills mafia and ensure payment to farmers on the spot besides closing down all private sale points.