19 October 2004	Tuesday	04 Ramazan 1425

LAHORE, Oct 18: After paying Rs10 one can enter the heavily guarded Punjab Civil Secretariat even before the public hours. The visitors these days are allowed entry into the secretariat after 11am as a security measure.

Each visitor is given a slip (after he submits his NIC or any other document which can establish his identity), at a room adjacent to the office of the DSP security. Newsmen are required to produce their office ID card.

The security staff at the main gate of the civil secretariat stopped this correspondent at around 9.30am on Monday, saying the chief secretary had banned the entry of journalists before 11am.

When requested, a plainclothesman issued a slip after receiving Rs10 as charge for allowing early entry into the secretariat. The slip has no serial number.

The men issuing entry slips in the room next to the DSP's office said the authorities had stopped payment of iftar allowance they used to get in Ramazan. "This collection is meant for meeting our iftar expenses."

According to official policy, no employee is authorized to receive cash from any person on account of any government fee.

A number of people who had come from far-off areas of the province said they usually got the permission to enter the secretariat after paying the 'fee'.

Additional Secretary Welfare Arif Anwar Baloch said plainclothesmen were illegally charging the fee. He said only the staff in blue uniform was under his administrative control while DSP security Yar Muhammad Dogar was in charge of the plainclothesmen.

The DSP was on patrol till 12.45pm.