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| April 9, 2002 | Tuesday | Muharram 25, 1423 |
Commuters at receiving end: Impounding of vehicles
FAISALABAD, April 8: Commuters remained stranded for hours because about 80 per cent of the public transport vehicles were impounded by the traffic police and the administration to send people to Lahore to attend the public meeting of Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday.
The traffic police, the Regional Transport Authority and excise and taxation department functionaries were seen impounding passenger vehicles.
All the vehicles were handed over to Nazimeen of union councils who won the elections from the platform of government-backed parties so that they could use them for attending the public meeting.
The vehicles have been parked in all traffic circles and grounds of local educational institutions.
The remaining 20 per cent vehicles remained off roads as their owners preferred to park them at their homes or parking stands.
Rickshaw and taxi drivers minted money by exploiting the situation.
Sources in the local government said all Nazimeen of union councils had been asked to arrange 50 to 100 people to attend the public meeting.
Meanwhile, leaders of the government-backed organizations were seen convincing people to attend the meeting. They have also arranged large banners inscribed with slogans in favour of the referendum.
A large number of affected commuters, in the meantime, have condemned impounding of public transport by the administration.
BEATEN UP: Two transporters reportedly thrashed a traffic police constable and tore his uniform when he tried to impound their bus here on Monday.
Traffic sub-inspector Muhammad Rafiq impounded the bus of Khalid Imtiaz and Muhammad Ramzan on the Faisalabad-Sargodha Road and asked Constable Muhammad Arshad to lock the bus in the circle office. Khalid and Ramzan reportedly beat Arshad up on way to the traffic police office and fled away along with their vehicle.
DISMISSAL: The district police chief has reportedly dismissed and compulsorily retired a dozen of police personnel for dereliction of duty and involvement in corruption.
The SSP terminated the services of sub-inspector Naeemul Hasan, assistant sub-inspector Mukhtar Ahmad, head-constable Sharif, and six constables posted at Civil Lines and Sargodha Road police stations due to their involvement in corruption.
Former SHO of Sargodha Road police station Muhammad Nawaz, Sub-Inspector Muhammad Arshad, ASIs Muratab Ali and Salim Chattha and constables Naveed and Majeed have been compulsorily retired.
Former SHO of Rail Bazaar police station Sub-Inspector Malik Jawed Iqbal was demoted for negligence of duty.
Wheat procurement: At least 33 centres have been set up in Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh districts for the procurement of 340,000 ton wheat from April 15.
This was stated by Food deputy director Rana Saeed Ahmad Khan while talking to newsmen here on Monday.
He said the staff had been deputed at 10 centres in the Faisalabad district, 17 in the Jhang district and six in the Toba Tek Singh district. He said the staff would purchase wheat from dawn to dusk at these centres.
Mr Khan said the direct purchase of wheat from farmers would be preferred besides ensuring prompt payments to them through banks. The exploitation of farmers would be checked by eliminating the middle-man culture, he said.
Food secretary Shahid Ehsan and the Punjab Food director would themselves pay surprise visits to various provincial districts to review the performance of procurement centres, he said. The supervisory staff of regional and district offices would also remain mobile under their supervision, he added.
Necessary instructions to the staff had already been issued, and stern action would be taken against them in case of any complaint, he concluded.
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