18 April 2004	Sunday	27 Safar 1425

LAHORE, April 17: The City District Government has started negotiations for privatization of the meat business -- from slaughter of animals to marketing of meat.

A three-member committee comprising Allama Iqbal Town Municipal Officer Imtiaz Awan, and district officers of industry Atiq Khaleeq and livestock Dr Farrukh has been constituted to hold talks with private parties interested in taking over the business with the assurance to provide mutton and beef on the price fixed by the CDG.

One of the entrepreneur engaged in export of meat has offered to take over the business with assurance to provide meat to the retailers at the fixed wholesale rates from his slaughterhouse on Raiwind Road. His condition to close the Kot Kamboh slaughterhouse on Bund Road, however, is not acceptable to the CDG.

Another entrepreneur engaged in meat business in Europe has offered to build a modern abattoir at the proposed site of Shahpur Kanjran and open his own retail outlets with all modern facilities in the city to sell mutton and beef at the fixed retail price. He has promised to procure animals from the open market and subsequently establish a livestock farm.

The CDG team held initial meeting with the second entrepreneur and will hold another towards the end of this month following the arrival of his partners from Europe.

BOOKED: Six City District Government teams lodged FIRs against 46 meat sellers for selling mutton and beef at higher than the fixed retail price.

The teams booked 26 beef and 20 mutton sellers for overcharging during raids in Township, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Mozang and Moghalpura areas.

Twenty six meat sellers have been arrested and 103 booked for overcharging during the past three days.