BADIN: All operational sugar mills in the district continue to flout with complete impunity Sindh High Court’s ruling to pay Rs160 per 40 kilogramme sugar cane to growers and pay only Rs130 per 40kg for current season’s cane crop.

Khalil Ahmed Bhurgari, prominent grower from Khoski, told this reporter that on the one hand the mills were buying their crop at only Rs130 per 40kg while on the other they were not making any commitment as to when they would make the payment.

He said that mills were also deducting up to 30 per cent from the total weight of cane on a vehicle on different pretexts. Only the Army Welfare Sugar Mills was promising to clear all outstanding dues of growers “after a few weeks”, he said.

Mr Bhurgari accused the leaders of various farmers’ organisations of being partial to the ruling party and working as agents of sugar mills. It was great injustice with farmers and Chief Justice of Pakistan should its notice, he said.

Allah Bachayo Rahukro, leader of Laar Abadgar Forum, said that sugar mafia in connivance with PPP government had destroyed small farmers and growers, who were left with no other option but to clear their land of the cane crop and ready it for next crop, forcing them sell off their produce to mills at a throwaway price.

Ghulam Rasool Katiar, a grower from Tando Bago, said that he had supplied some trucks of cane to Talhar sugar mills and since then he was running from pillar to post to get his dues.

Mohammad Hashim, Mustafa Ayaz, Rab Dino and many other farmers from different areas of the district had similar stories to share about mills’ excesses.

They said in unison that if the apex court did not come to their rescue they saw no hope and no light at the end of the tunnel in the current situation.

Qamaruddin Shaikh in Mirpurkhas adds: A joint meeting of Farmer Organisation Council (FOC), Sindh Agriculture Research Council (SARC) and Tail Abadgar Association announced on Sunday that five organisations, including them and Sindh Hari and Sindh Abadgar Organisation would hold demonstrations outside press clubs throughout Sindh on Feb 6 over excesses against growers.

The meeting presided over by FOC chairman Javed Ahmed Junejo and attended by grower leaders Zahid Noon, Mukhtiar Narejo, Mohammad Khan Marri, Paras Narejo, Murtaza Otho, Hameed Baloch, Imamuddin Maher and Mir Mohammad Marri slammed Sindh government’s failure to enforce a fair sugar cane rate, called for an increase in the number of wheat procurement centers in Mirpurkhas and judicious distribution of gunny sacks among growers.

Mr Junejo said that irrigation authorities had failed to desilt canals, distributaries and minors in Nara Canal command area, despite having required funds at their disposal.

He said that officials were preparing fake bills to misappropriate the funds and said that irrigation authorities had not yet released water into Mithrao Canal but they were supplying water only to the farms of influential persons and political personalities.

He said that large-scale corruption continued unabated in the lining of canals and distributaries despite the fact that Sindh High Court had taken its notice and NAB’s inquiry was under way.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2018