NAUNDERO: Sugarcane growers of different towns of Larkana and Kambar-Shahdadkot districts held a protest demonstration in front of the main entrance of Naundero Sugar Mills (NSM) here Wednesday, demanding payment of outstanding dues against NSM since past three years.
The protesters were led by Hussain Bux Bhutto, Malook Jakhro, Badaruddin Mohil, Aijaz Kertio, Nazir Brohi and others. They were also joined by locals including Ghulam Hyder Narejo, Mushtaque Kumbhar, Javed Bhutto, Sahab Khan Shaikh and others. The protesters showed solidarity with the agitating peasants.
They were holding large banners in their hands, shouting slogans against the NSM administration and were crying for help as according to them they had not been given payment for the sugarcane sold to the NSM during 2017, 2018 and 2019. They said that unjust, open and daring violation of code of ethics had proved that NSM authorities do not want to pay them for their commodity. They said that NSM authorities had already sold sugar stock which was produced from their sugarcane but had so far failed to make payment to the poor tillers.
They said they procured fertilizers, seeds, paid for transportation charges of sugarcane from the fields to the Mill and other expenditures and all is done on credit basis which we have to pay to the dealers after every season which has not yet been paid to them due to non-payment by the mill and the dealers are also constantly knocking our doors to clear their outstanding amount.
They alleged that they had economically been murdered by the mill authorities as their last year’s 33 days protest also failed to bear any results because provincial government had closed its eyes and ears for the poverty-stricken farmers. They said they had returned here again and will never go back until their payment is made by the mill owners. They said they were being pressurized again to supply sugarcane during the current season but they would never repeat their past mistakes and will never supply produce until their dues are finally cleared.
