24 April 2004	Saturday	03 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, April 23: Hundreds of officers and employees, including guards of the district Nazim and SSP offices, were found absent during a surprise checking of attendance at the district government offices here at 8:15am on Friday.

As many as 288 officials, including seven assistant excise and taxation officers, had not reported for duty at the E&T Office at Faridkot House alone. Nine work-charged and 22 regular employees, including the district officer (solid waste management), the district officer (planning) and the accounts officer, were not present at the SWM office. Majority of the employees was present in their offices at the Jinnah Hall.

Officials were also found absent in the offices of the district officer (accounts), the executive district officer (finance), the EDO (information technology), the district officer (environment), the EDO (taxation), the EDO (special education) and the deputy district officer (food).

District Coordination Officer Khalid Sultan has ordered that officials found absent from their offices during the checking should be proceeded against under the efficiency and discipline rules.

RECORD: A project for the computerization of the record of the Baitul Mal committees and industrial homes in all the 34 districts of the province has been launched by the provincial government for streamlining the working.

Punjab Information Technology Minister Abdul Aleem Khan disclosed this during a meeting with a 15-member delegation of woman councillors and social workers here on Friday. Resource centres were also being set up at the district level for helping the women in distress.

He said that the social sector could improve its efficiency and increase transparency through the application of information technology.

Butchers held: The City District Government meat price checking squads on Friday arrested 12 butchers and lodged FIRs against another 41 for selling mutton at exorbitant prices. The butchers were arrested and booked for overcharging during surprise raids in Township, Gulberg, Samanabad, Allama Iqbal Town, Shadman, Mozang, Millat Park and Anarkali.

The CDG squads have lodged 256 FIRs and handed over 104 butchers for selling meat at higher prices during the past two months, but are not aware of the fate of even a single FIR so far. Meanwhile, all arrested butchers were released by the police on bail after arrest and they continued to sell the meat at exorbitant prices.