February 10, 2003	Monday	Zul Hijjah 8,1423

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FAISALABAD, Feb 9: At least a dozen people were bruised in scuffles with guards of Tehsil Municipal Administration contractors, who demanded fee for buying animals at 12 sale points, here on Sunday.

A number of people visited the animals’ sale points on the Samundri Road, Satiana Road, Goat Market, Jhang Road, Canal Road, Gulistan Colony, Ghulam Muhammadabad and other areas.

Reports said many buyers quarrelled with the TMA’s guards deputed at the entrance and exit points for demanding fee for animals despite the municipal authorities claims that no fee would be charged. The contractors’ men demanded Rs100 for a goat or a sheep, Rs200 for a cow and Rs300 for a camel and issued fake receipts.

Complaining extortion, people said there was no justification for charging the fee, as the TMA had earlier announced that no fee would be charged on sale and purchase of the sacrificial animals.

Those extorting the fee claimed they had paid Rs500,000 for each district sale point to the TMA high-ups to get the official contract, but did not show any proof to it.

Two youth Naveed and Shahzad, who went to the Samundri Road to buy an animal, received head injuries during scuffle with the guards. At a sale point on Saleemi Chowk, sellers Suleman and Rajab Ali were beaten up by some visitors.

Sources in the TMA told this correspondent that the administration’s high-ups gave the contract of the 12 sale points to interested parties after getting Rs300,000 for each point. They added there was no official agreement.

The local residents have demanded Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool and Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to take action against the TMA high-ups for awarding contracts to different parties for fee collection.

CONCERN: Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association on Sunday expressed concern over smuggling of hosiery and stressed a comprehensive policy to stop this menace.

In a statement, PHMA Vice-Chairman Shaheen Tabassum said smuggling of socks, vests, underwears, trousers, jerseys, track-suits and other items from China, Turkey and Taiwan had replaced the locally-made products, thus, affecting the national economy.

He also said smuggling of knitwear would jolt the indigenous industry and render a number of skilled workers jobless.

Mr Tabassum said the only solution to avoid smuggling was to bring down the cost of inputs keeping in view the international prices.