FAISALABAD, Nov 14: The Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Department has expressed concern over the district government’s decision to shift the local veterinary hospital to establish the offices of the TMA (Saddar) at its site, it is learnt on Friday.

The department also called the local administration’s move illegal.

Reports said the district government had decided to allot a portion of land of the livestock hospital to the TMA (Saddar) to set up its secretariat without seeking any approval from the provincial Board of Revenue and the department’s higher-ups.

Taking stock of the situation, livestock department additional secretary Bashir Ahmad Chaudhry, in a directive addressed to the DCO, pointed out that the land under the utilization of his department could not be allotted by the district government to any other department. He demanded that the decision should be withdrawn immediately.

According to the revenue record, he said, the provincial government was the owner of the site, which was given to the district for the establishment of a veterinary hospital. Since its establishment, the site was under the use of veterinary hospital and its related offices.

“The board also disallows use of this land for other purposes without its permission.” it added.

It is pertinent to note that since the establishment of the TMA (Saddar), its secretariat could not be established.

Earlier, the TMA (Saddar) had set up its offices at the complex of the defunct municipal corporation, but it was forced to vacate the building and also asked to pay Rs70,000 rent per month. The TMA could not make the payment and removed its offices.