May 14, 2002	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 1, 1423

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GUJRANWALA, May 13: The Punjab governor’s directive to check overloading and overcharging has become a rolling stone between secretariats of the governor and Regional Transport Authority (RTA) for the last two months.

Ahmad Ali Johar of Civil Line told newsmen on Monday that he had complained to the governor about overloading and overcharging by transporters from Gujranwala to Sialkot and an illegal wagon stand on the Sialkot Road on March 21.

The Punjab governor secretariat, he said, had forwarded it to the RTA secretary for necessary action on March 29, but he failed to resolve the public issue.

Belonging to Lahore, he alleged the RTA secretary had always come late and left the office early, adding that he was reluctant in resolving the issue on various pretext.

Commuters were also unhappy with the biased attitude of the RTA secretary and accused him of supporting the transporters for his vested interests, he said.

Vehicle owners of the Transporter Society Gujranwala (TSG) got printed fake fare list from Gujranwala to Ghakkhar, Wazirabad, Rahwali and Eminabad Morr, but the RTA secretary had not taken action against them, he added.

THRASHED: Employees of Saddar tehsil council went on a pen-down strike against Qila Dedar Singh toll tax contractor and his men for thrashing a senior clerk and personal secretary of the Naib Nazim here on Monday.

The Saddar tehsil council had imposed in its limits toll tax on all roads while Qila Dedar Singh contractor and his men were charging Rs10 per vehicle per trip instead of Rs5 from the transporters.

On receiving complaints, Naib Nazim’s PS and senior clerk Muhammad Jahangir barred the contractor and his men from overcharging. Falling into a rage, contractor’s armed men attacked him with fists and kicks and threatened him with dire consequences in the presence of tehsil Nazim and other senior officials. Later, they took to their heel when police came there to arrest them. Police however seized their vehicle along with a 244 bore rifle and registered a case against them.

Meanwhile, Nazims and councillors of Qila Dedar Singh condemned the untoward incident and demanded an action against the accused.

RAIDS: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Gujranwala, teams on Monday conducted raids on FA/FSc examination centres in and around the city and expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements.

A team headed by board chairman Dr Muhammad Aslam Ghauri raided the Government High School No 1 and the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Ghakkhar town, and conducted body search of candidates.

He expressed his satisfaction over the arrangement at examination centres and urged the vigilant staff to provide better facilities to candidates, including the drinking water.