July 13, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 16, 1427

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SWABI, July 12: Tobacco growers have demolish two posts established by the Tehsil Municipal Administration Swabi for collection of newly imposed load-on-load tax and have vowed to soon demolish the remaining 10 posts in different areas.

The TMA had imposed the tax on virginia and white patta tobacco, crushed stones, bricks, sands and construction stones. The new levy, however, was opposed by tobacco growers, traders, general public and even by the Awami National Party, the PML, the PML-N, the PPP (Sherpao), the PPP Parliamentarians, the JUI, the Jamait-i- Islami- and various pressure groups. They had announced to resist the move at any cost.

The TMA established 12 posts in Kadi, Bamkhel Road, Spain Kani, Rafiqabad Kotha, Palodand, Yar Hussian Adina Road, Baghicha Dheri, Hamlet, Swabi-Topi Road, Kunda Mor, Swabi Gohati Road and Salim Khan.

People, however, quarrelled with the staff deputed at the posts because they were not ready to pay the tax. The posts established in Salim Khan and Swabi-Topi Road were destroyed by tobacco growers while terming the tax unjust.

On a tractor-trolley the TMA collects Rs300 when loaded with virginia tobacco and Rs50 when it is white patta tobacco. On a six-wheal truck it collects Rs 600 if it is transporting virginia tobacco and Rs 100 if white patta tobacco. On a 10-wheel truck it charges Rs1000 for virginia tobacco and Rs200 for white patta tobacco.

WORKSHOP: An eight-day international workshop on ‘Total Energy Management’ (TEM) started at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology on Monday.

The workshop coordinator, Dr Javed A. Chattha, said the event being organized by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the GIK Institute was being financed by the Islamic Development Bank.

The workshop, he said, would focus on energy on the organization or company level, energy accounting, monitoring and targeting, technical approach and analyses, energy conservation opportunities and staff training and motivation.

He said experts from Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mozambique and Uzbekistan were participating in the workshop.