August 20, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Saani 10, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Aug 19: The Punjab government’s local government and rural development department has shifted the venue for inquiry into Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) commercialization fee contract from Lahore to Rawalpindi with District Coordination Officer Amjad Ali Toor as the inquiry officer, it has been learnt.

The change of venue has been made on the request of the chairman of building control committee, Raja Mohammad Hafeez who, in a letter to the secretary of the department of local government and rural development, expressed doubts over the neutrality of the inquiry team in Lahore.

Mr Hafeez had pleaded that some members of the inquiry team had served on key posts in the now-defunct Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) and could take sides with Tehsil officials. Therefore, he contended, the inquiry should be held through some District Management Group officials instead of local government officials.

Mr Hafeez also requested that the venue should be shifted to Rawalpindi where all the records were present and all the accused based.

The DCO has not yet fixed any date for hearing and is likely to start formal probe in a few days.

Two meetings were held in Lahore in connection with the case, but no progress could be made due to the absence of one or the other party.

The chairman of building control committee has accused some TMA officials of awarding the commercialization fee contract to a political ally of the Nazim and causing a loss of millions of rupees to the exchequer.