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GUJRANWALA, July 11: Work on the service road along the People’s Colony underpass has again been brought to a halt for lack of funds while almost all traffic is being passed through a sole railway level crossing.
Reports say the highway department has not allocated funds for the project in its annual development programme that forces the contractor to discontinue the work. The contractor says he would restart the work only after the clearance of his pending payment of Rs7 million.
While residents of the area has moved the provincial ombudsman, pleading that the service road should be constructed without removing schools and residences.
The ombudsman has reportedly ordered the highway department to allocate Rs8 million for the purpose.
When contacted, highway SDO Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed Cheema said that funds would be provided to the contractor for resuming the construction work of the service road.
ARRESTED: Police claimed to have arrested 66 members of 14 gangs of criminals and recovered a huge quantity of illicit arms and looted goods from their possession during the last fortnight.
DIG (Operations) Khadim Hussain Bhatti revealed on Wednesday that police recovered two hand grenades, as many Kalashnikovs, seven rifles, 43 pistols, two carbines, nine motorcycles and 30 cell phones besides cash, jewellery and other valuables from them.
He said among the arrested gangs were: the Noora Aodh, the Zahid alias Goga, the Irfan alias Kalu, the Faiz Ahmed, the Allah Ditta, the Asif alias Aso Kashmiri, the Noor Danish, the Bilal Rehmani, the Adnan alias Dani, the Irshad, the Saifullah, the Abid Masih, the Ashfaq, the Nahid and the Riaz.
