RAHIM YAR KHAN, Aug 22: The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has threatened to suspend Aptma-motivated drive to keep raw cotton free from contamination because of the millers' failure to pay premium.

The PCGA which met here on Saturday, said that jute bags would be used again as transportation of phutti from fields to genneries in cotton cloth had cost them dearly. The contamination-free cotton drive was launched from RY Khan district two years ago as a pilot project. It was extended to Bahawalpur and Ghotki districts last year.

However, the mills did not pay the promised premium of Rs200 against each bale. The meeting also decided that cotton factories would not start functioning before Sept 1 in Sindh and Sept 15 in Punjab.

Newly-elected PCGA chairman Haji Ibrahim said that talks with Wapda on fixed charges for ginning operation months had been finalized. The meeting was also attended by Saith Muhammad Anwar, Khwaja Muhammad Ilyas, Chaudhry Shafique Sheikh, Mian Mehmood Ahmad, Haji Arshadul Haq and Chaudhry Jamil.