26 September 2004	Sunday	10 Shaban 1425

JHANG, Sept 25: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool on Saturday took strong exception to alleged discrimination of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in facilitating its consumers.

The governor said this while attending the mass wedding ceremony of 50 couples as the chief guest at the Mai Heer stadium in the afternoon. Earlier, he visited some of the federal government departments.

Expressing displeasure at the Sui gas department's performance, he rapped the discriminatory policy in providing gas connections to consumers. "It is a pity that there is gas in one house and the neighbouring house is deprived of the facility due to the apathy of the department officials."

He, however, praised the working of the National Database and Registration Authority office where he observed that work was being done in an organized way.

He also made a mention of his visit to the regional office and a branch of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank and expressed satisfaction over its performance. He said more land owners and growers were being encouraged to seek loans from the bank as a result of cut in the mark-up. More than Rs1 billion had been disbursed so far by the bank in the Jhang region alone.

He said 900 villages of the district were being electrified at a cost of Rs500 million. Most of villages in the district would be electrified by the end of the year.

Responding to the demands of people, Mr Maqbool assured them that work on bridges on the Chenab, one each near Chund Bharwana and Garh Maharaja, would start soon.