HYDERABAD, Sept 26: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has directed the cane commissioner to expedite recovery of dues and arrears under the head of sugarcane (development) cess and of growers from mill owners.

He gave the directive at a meeting in Karachi on Saturday, which was attended by the secretary for agriculture, Sindh cane commissioner and a representative of the Najma Sugar Mill, Jhuddo.

According to cane commissioner Nazar Mohammad Baloch, Dr Rahim ordered for recovery of last year's dues of Rs164 million of growers. The amount is outstanding against Al-Noor, Khairpur, Ranipur, Sanghar and Sakrand sugar mills, against whom action has been initiated and the matter is pending.

The chief minister also asked the cane commissioner to expedite the litigation process. An amount of Rs7 million of the current year is also to be recovered from Digri, Seri and Najma sugar mills.

The Sept 28 meeting in Karachi, to be presided over by the chief minister, would also discuss this issue and mill owners would be asked to clear the dues or they would face cases in courts.

Under the head of sugarcane cess, Rs114 million is to be paid by Bawani, Al-Asif, Tharparkar and Seri sugar mills. The government contributes 50 paisas per 40 kilograms of sugarcane and mill owners and growers pay 25 paisas each under this head.

Growers have paid their share but it has not been given to the government. This fund is meant for construction of roads used for transportation of sugarcane. The Al-Asif Sugar Mill is to pay Rs30 million, Bawani Sugar Mill, Rs47 million, Pangrio Sugar Mill, Rs4 million, Tharparkar Sugar Mill, Rs10 million and the Seri Sugar Mill is to pay Rs20 million under this head.

Action has been initiated for recovery of the dues under sections 81 and 82 of the Land Revenue Act. Properties of defaulting mills are required to be attached by the Board of Revenue after a presentation is made by the cane commissioner in this regard.

As far as dues of growers are concerned, fresh cases will be filed before judicial magistrates concerned against defaulting sugar mills. The cane commissioner said the chief minister was of the view that a notification regarding beginning of the crushing season must be implemented to ensure water availability for Kharif crops, given the shortage of water.

The representative of the Najma Sugar Mill told the meeting that his mill would start crushing as notified by the Sindh government. The chief minister has invited leading sugarcane growers and mill owners for the Sept 28 meeting to discuss issues of crushing, fixation of sugarcane prices, dues and cultivation of sugarcane in different areas.

Mr Baloch maintained that there were reports that many growers had stopped cultivating sugarcane because millers had not been offering them a reasonable price for their produce.

He further said mill owners would also be able to express their grievances against the government or growers at the meeting, so that these could be redressed. Answering a question, he said the government would fix the price of sugarcane in consultation with the sugarcane board.