FAISALABAD, April 15: Three workers of a weaving factory were killed while 10 others sustained injuries as a gas cylinder exploded at a road-side hotel at Roshanwali Jhal in Dijkot police limits here on Saturday.

Reports said some workers were taking tea at a hotel adjacent to their factory when the gas cylinder exploded. As a result of which the roof of the hotel collapsed, killing Mehmood Ahmed and Muhammad Ismail on the spot. Area people and other workers of the factory rushed to the spot and recovered the injured from debris.

Police and fire tenders also took part in the rescue operation. One of the injured, Naeem Ahmed, died on way to hospital.

The injured were identified as Allah Rakha, Muhammad Yaseen, Mushtaq Ahmed, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Afzal, Arshad, Zahid, Allah Ditta, Abid, Muneer and Naeem.

surplus budget: The City District Assembly approved a Rs6.36 billion surplus budget for the year 2005-06 amid rowdyism and allegations of a complicated budget document.

The budget session, convened by Naib Nazim Mian Amjad Yaseen, in its third consecutive day started with noisy speeches of members. The chair asked members to cast their votes for the approval of the budget document.

Most of members present in the house passed the budget within a few minutes and the convener adjourned the session for an indefinite period.

Scores of district council members pleaded that the naib nazim and the city district nazim adopted undemocratic way to get the budget document approved.

They claimed that dozens

of members were on their

way to take part in the budget session, but the members present in the house haphazardly completed the task, which was unjustified.

Talking to journalists, City District Nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef said the budget document was well-prepared and was approved by the house with a thumping majority.

He said that a comprehensive plan had been chalked out for the uplift of the district and to provide basic amenities to the people.

President Pervez Musharraf, he said, would soon announce a mega development package for the city.

He said that another amount of Rs860 million had been announced by the president as special grant for the district to recoup financial constraints.