October 31, 2003	Friday	Ramazan 4, 1424

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HARIPUR, Oct 30: Butchers in Haripur went on an indefinite strike on Thursday against what they called administration’s excesses on the issue of rise in the prices of meat.

Reacting, the district administration warned to cancel all the licences of the protesting butchers, if they failed to resume their business within next 48 hours.

The ACO Haripur Syed Hassnain Kazmi, during a surprise checking on Wednesday had booked a number of meat and mutton sellers for overcharging in Haripur city and Sera-i-Saleh markets.

Before the beginning of Ramazan, the District Nazim Dr Raja Amer Zaman, at a meeting with butchers had fixed Rs 110 per kg for mutton and Rs 55 for beef and warned of strict action if anyone found overcharging. However, the butchers, appeared least bothered of the official instructions and began charging Rs 140 to Rs 150 for mutton and Rs 70 to 80 for beef.

The president of Butchers’ Association, Haripur, Chaudhry Mohammed Siddique has refused to succumb to the administration’s pressure and said that the decision of fixing the present rates of beef and mutton was taken without taking into account the problems of butchers, which was unjustified.

He said the rates given by the administration were incompatible to the market prices of buffaloes, cows and goats. Chaudhry Siddique said since the smuggling of these cattle heads to neighbouring country of Afghanistan went unchecked, the upward trend in the rates of beef and mutton was inevitable and needed to be revised officially.

Owing to the butchers strike, the consumers went to Afghan refugees camps to purchase beef or mutton where this commodity was available but the demand was usually more during Ramazan. Here the meat was available at lesser rates and in good quality.

ACTION: As many as 250 teachers of different schools of the district would face disciplinary action on the charges of remaining absent from their duties, sources at the office of EDO education Haripur said here on Thursday.

According to the sources on frequent public complaints, a special committee was constituted by the EDO education Haripur Syed Bashir Shah last month.

The committee members during surprise checking of 350 different primary, middle and high schools of the district found 250 male and female teachers absent from their duties.

The committee submitted report to the EDO who has ordered to take action against them. For the time being their salaries are being withheld. The EDO also instituted inquiry against the all the teachers who were found violating discipline.