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GUJRANWALA, June 3: Around 95 per cent powerlooms and small units have been closed as the market has been flooded with smuggled cloth, an increase in power tariff and levy of taxes.
Speaking at a meeting here on Monday, powerlooms and small unit owners claimed that the government had failed to stop the smuggling of cloth from Korea and China.
An increase in power tariff and levy of taxes had increased the production cost considerably which forced them to shut their units. Moreover, customers preferred to buy smuggled cloth instead of locally manufactured items.
They demanded that the smuggling of cloth should be stopped to boost the local industry.
Meanwhile, the workers who have been rendered jobless due to closure of factories and small units strongly protested against their retrenchment and demanded of the government that solid steps should be taken to revamp the industry and their families saved from starvation.
They threatened that they would observe strike if their demands were not met.
ACTION RECOMMENDED: A vigilance committee of the Education Department recommended stern action against the absent teaching staff of educational institutions.
The vigilance committee member and the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Eminabad, principal had found 10 teachers absent from duty during a surprise visit at the Government Girls High School, Kamoke.
Similarly, the entire teaching staff and the principal of the Elementary Girls School Wahando Kotli, Dilbagh Rai, were also found absent from the duty and class-IV employee was looking after the students.
She also paid the surprise visit at various institutions and expressed her dismay over the mismanagement.
THREE SHOT AT, HURT: Three people, including a lawyer and a professor, were shot at and injured on Monday by their rivals over an old enmity at Maraliwala village.
Rana Ashiq Hussain advocate was sitting outside his house along with Prof Nazir Hussain and Nasim when assailants came there and opened fire on them. They sustained bullet injuries and were rushed to the local DHQ Hospital from where professor was shifted to Mayo Hospital, Lahore, for his serious condition.
