August 23, 2006	Wednesday	Rajab 27, 1427

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GUJRANWALA, Aug 22: Small farmers of seven villages protested against the government for planning to bulldoze their houses for constructing an industrial estate and demanded that the plan should be cancelled.

The farmers of Nathoki, Chak Nizam, Muakhal Sundhwan, Basiwala, Nuaki, Gandum and Hewali on Tuesday sent a memorandum to the chief minister through union council No 109 nazim Chaudhry Yousaf Sandhu. They apprised him that total agricultural land of the villages was 3,500 acres. The government was planning to build an industrial estate on 3,000 acres by bulldozing their villages.

They said majority of farmers were the owners of one kanal to an acre while 5 per cent owned five to six acres. Around 8,000 families would suffer if their land were acquired for purpose, they added.

They demanded that plan for constructing an industrial zone should be dropped, as it was best agricultural area of the Punjab.

Meanwhile, insiders said the government should revamp industrial zones set up in other areas of the city instead of developing new industrial zone.

UPLIFT: The work on development projects of the city would start shortly and civic amenities would be provided to the citizens till 2007.

This was stated by city district nazim Fiaz Ahmad Chattha at a briefing here on Tuesday.

He said the chief minister had already approved Rs1 billion for the construction of roads, Rs650 million for replacing defective sewer lines and Rs12 million for purchase of lids for open manholes.

He expressed the hope that all outstanding issues of citizen would be resolved within stipulated period.

He said fire brigade would be upgraded and more pumps would be bought for pumping out dirty water from streets and bazaars.

STRIKE: A weeklong strike of sanitary workers of Ghakkhar town ended when the tehsil municipal administration (TMA) partially accepted their demands after negotiation on Tuesday.

Almost all sanitary workers of the town, including sewer men and garbage lifters went on strike against TMA for not regularising their service.

They also protested against sanitary inspector Dr Nisar Ahmad and alleged that he used to humiliate them over minor issues and delay payment of their salaries.

Tehsil nazim former MPA Nawazish Ali Cheema visited town and had a meeting with nazims and naib nazims of three union councils of town and asked them to resolve the issue amicably. Later, the nazims and naib nazims negotiated with sanitary workers and accepted their demand that the sanitary inspector would be transferred and their salaries would be paid through bank without any deduction.

A committee recommended that sanitary workers should be given salaries for the days they remained on strike.