BADIN, Sept 18: Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that sugar mill owners who failed to start crushing of sugarcane by Oct 4 will not be allowed to start their mills.

He urged all sugar mill owners in Sindh to start crushing by Oct 1 at any cost.

He was addressing growers at the circuit house here on Saturday evening.

The chief minister said the loss of growers would not be tolerated as they were also part of the national economy.

Mr Arbab asked mill managements to pay premium to sugarcane growers before ensuing the crushing season.

He said rain and flood affected talukas of the Badin district would be exempted from the land revenue and other provincial taxes.

About the distribution of relief fund, he said it was distributed through the district government with assurance that it would be given to deserving people.

He said the water position in the Indus river was improving and by the grace of Almighty God more water was expected to reach barrages in Sindh.

He said the government was distributing available water among growers judiciously.

The meeting later turned into an open katchehry when growers and notables presented their problems, mostly regarding the shortage of water in waterways.

UC Khorwah Nazim Ghulam Mustafa Jat informed the chief minister that there was no water in the Khorwah minor, Noor wah, Ganj Bahar and other distributaries.

Mr Arbab asked the Sida director and officials concerned to explain their position regarding availability of water.

He ordered suspension of the assistant engineer Shadi wah for short supply of water in at the tail-end of waterway. The complaint was made by growers of the Mithi union council.

The chief minister appointed Zafar Ali Shah as honorary supervisor for all waterways in the district and directed him to conduct a survey of the irrigation system in the Badin district and submit him a report at the earliest.

He also directed Mr Shah to prepare a list of drains and defective waterways and submit suggestions for their improvement.

Earlier, the chief minister held a meeting with workers of the PML and discussed organizational matters.

He nominated a five-member committee from each tehsil of the district and asked committee members to visit Karachi for completion of organizational process.

TEACHER KILLED: A primary teacher, Faiz Athelo, 28, was killed by armed men near Oko Kolhi village, Tando Bago taluka on Friday.