June 18, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1427

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FAISALABAD, June 17: The Excise and Taxation officials has to postpone the auction to receive toll on district’s three major roads till June 24 on account of a protest demonstration by residents of some 100 villages of Pansera, Narwala, Thikriwala, Millat roads and their adjoining areas.

Villagers staged the demonstration outside the City District Nazim office at the time of auction of these roads for the collection of toll on Saturday.

Carrying banners and placards, protesters chanted slogans against the district government and demanded that the chief minister should take stock of the situation.

They claimed that despite repeated assurances from the local government about the abolition of toll from these roads, tenders for the collection of toll had been invited from contractors.

They announced that they would continue their protest till the abolition of toll.

TWO DIE: Two burn victims, who had sustained wounds in a gas cylinder explosion, died in Allied Hospital here on Saturday.

Reports said that six people had sustained injuries when the gas cylinder exploded in a refilling LPG shop on Railway Road on Monday last. Ramzan and Ali Raza, who had received serious burn wounds, could not survive. Bodies were handed over to their heirs.

Rail Bazaar police had already registered a case against the shop owner.

SHIFTING: The Faisalabad Development Authority’s governing body has observed that shifting of industrial units from congested city areas to industrial estates has become necessary to address public complaints.

At a meeting held here on Saturday with City District Nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef in the chair, it was decided that dwellers of low income residential colonies and flats developed by the FDA should pay their dues before June next year in 10 easy installments. No extension would be made after the expiry of the date and dues would be recovered through strict action.

The meeting further decided that cancellation of allotment of plots, flats and shops could be restored by paying 100 per cent surcharge by the end of this year.

It also withdrew the 25 per cent fixed tax imposed on standby turbines of various mills and factories.

The city district nazim said that a mega development project was being chalked out to provide basic amenities to citizens and uplift of rural and urban areas in the district.

He directed FDA officials to play their due role for the modernisation of the city infrastructure and ensure the shifting of industrial units from city areas in shortest possible period.

Madina Town Nazim Chaudhry Ali Akhtar Khan, Lyallpur Town Nazim Rana Zahid Mehmood, Iqbal Town Nazim Sajjad Haider Cheema, Jinnah Town Nazim Malik Muhammad Shahzad, Chak Jhumra Town Nazim Fawad Ali Cheema, FDA director-general Raja Safdar Hassan and officials of various government departments also attended the meeting.

CONDEMNATION: The Faisalabad Union of Journalists condemned the murder of journalist Hayatullah Khan and announced bringing out a rally to lodge its protest here on Monday (tomorrow).

At a meeting held here on Saturday with FUJ president Ghulam Mohyuddin in the chair, it was noted with concern that journalist bodies had been making a hue and cry over the mysterious kidnapping of the journalist, but government agencies had played the role of only a silent spectator.