GUJRANWALA, July 1: The Punjab government has postponed for a month the merger of all autonomous development authorities with city tehsil councils, it was learnt here on Monday.

Earlier, the government had decided to implement on the proposed merger scheme with effect from July 1. However, the process of merging these authorities was restrained for further one month to review all consequences. Now these authorities have been asked to continue its function till further order.

Meanwhile, employees of Gujranwala Development Authority (GDA) and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) demanded that these authorities should not be merged with city tehsil councils.

FLOOD RELIEF: The Health department divided the district into 16 sectors besides deploying 29 fix and 67 mobile teams under the flood relief plan here on Monday.

Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Akhtar Ali told district Nazim Fiaz Ahmad Chattha in a briefing that about 25 qualified doctors and 25 dispensers had been inducted into flood relief centres.

He said sufficient medicines and vaccine had been supplied to 3.6 million population of 188 union councils in the district.

All medical officers and paramedical staff had been directed to remain alert during monsoon to extend every help to flood victims, he added.

RECOVERED: A bailiff of the district and sessions judge raided Cantonment police station and recovered an elderly man from lock-up and produced him before court here on Monday.

The judge set him free and summoned the SHO before court on Tuesday (today).

The Cantonment police had picked up Mirza Abdul Latif (90) from his house in Rahwali four days ago and detained him in lock-up without registration of any case against him. Ghulam Rasul, son of the victim, moved court who deputed the bailiff to recover the detainee from the lock-up. When the bailiff raided police station, the SHO disappeared while the Muharrer could give no reason of victim’s detention.

ASI ARRESTED: An ASI was got arrested by a local court and sent him to jail for not appearing before court here on Monday.

Additional district and sessions judge Jamshed Hussain had summoned ASI Muhammad Aslam for evidence in a murder case of Aroop village, but he did not appear before court. The judge summoned him again but he reached several hours late before court. Turning down his apology, the judge got him arrested and sent him to jail. The case has been adjourned till July 6.

PTCL CONNECTIONS: The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Gujranwala region, stood first across the country for providing maximum connections during the fiscal year 2001-02.

This was stated by PTCL director-general (operation) Ikram Khan while speaking at a high-level meeting here on Monday.

He said around 0.5 million new connections were provided by the PTCL throughout the country, including 231,000 new connections in Punjab.

He told the meeting that a target of 51,000 new connections had been met successfully during the last fiscal year in the Gujranwala region.

At least 53,000 new connections would be provided to subscribers during the current fiscal year in the region, he said.

The PTCL, he said, had been collecting Rs3.21 billion revenue per annum from 340,000 subscribers in the region.

He divulged that the PTCL would introduce computerized management system complain 18 in eight big cities of the country during the current fiscal year.

The system, he said, would initially be started from Lahore while all necessary arrangements had been finalized in this respect.

Deputy general manager Muhammad Ilyas and other senior PTCL officers were also present on the occasion.

RALLY: Auto rickshaw crews on Monday staged a rally against an order of installing meters in their vehicles and demanded that it should be withdrawn instantly as it was not practicable.

They paraded on the GT Road and chanted slogans against the order.

Speaking at a gathering, auto rickshaw union leaders Malik Ehsanullah and Babu Arshad said that passengers settled the fare with rickshaw crew before journey which was in accordance with the Islamic teachings.

They said since prices of the petroleum products changed fortnightly, the installation of metres was not justified.

28 POs HELD: The district police claim to have arrested 28 proclaimed offenders and 38 court fugitives during four-hour general hold-up here on Monday.

Police also recovered a large number of illicit arms and narcotics from their possession.

SSP Muhammad Aslam Tarin said that police seized 17 pistols, four revolvers, as many guns of 12 bore, three rifles, two carbines, sizable heroin, charas and liquor from their custody.

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