HYDERABAD, July 16: The provincial Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Sardar Muqeem Khan Khoso, here on Monday distributed an amount of Rs82.9 million among 61 contractors of oil tankers which are on the disposal of the Attock Refinery Limited.

The amount is the accumulated arrears of 18 months following the increase in tanker fare (from 97 paisa to one rupee per kilometre) as per the order of the Governor, Mohammedmian Soomro.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that the governor had accepted the appeal of the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Association (APOTA).

He praised the managing director of the company for releasing the amount of the arrears. He remarked that manual labour was a noble vocation and the workers must be given their due rights.

He assured the tanker owners that he will apprise the governor of their complaints against the customs and excise staff and said that no excesses against the transporters would be tolerated.

Earlier, the chief executive of the refinery, Mr Raziuddin, said that the company would always protect the rights of the workers.

The chairman of APOTA, Mir Mohammed Yousuf Shewani, welcomed the minister. The DCO of Hyderabad, Mir Hussain Ali, was also present on the occasion.