TOBA TEK SINGH: After a wait of two years, a kiln worker succeeded to recover his outstanding wages from the kiln owner in Gojra area’s Chak 297-JB, according to Punjab Bhatta Mazdoor Union leader Muhammad Shabbir.

A case was filed before the Labour Authority working under the Payment of Wages Act of 1936 on behalf of kiln worker Aslam Masih who claimed in his application that his kiln owner Muhammad Khairayti Khan paid him less than government’s fixed wages of Rs962 per 1,000 bricks for one year.

Authority officer Muhammad Shahbaz heard the case and issued a decree in 2016 under which the kiln owner was made bound to pay remaining wages of Rs105,560 to the applicant but implementation on Authority’s order was delayed for two years.

Finally, the Gojra revenue tehsildar recovered the money from the accused kiln owner and it was deposited in the account of the authority. The authority officer handed over the cheque of said amount to the kiln worker on Monday.

WARNING: PML-N MNA Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has warned Pakistan Railways if route of 27 Up and 28 Down Lahore-Karachi Shalimar Express train is changed from Lahore-Faisalabad-Toba Tek Singh-Khanewal to Lahore-Sahiwal-Khanewal Jahanian, the people of Toba Tek Singh will be forced to stage protest demonstrations against the department.

He said on Monday that he had come to know through the print media that the Pakistan Railways might change its route and its implementation would start with effect from Aug 10.

He said during the PML-N government, on his request, former federal railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq granted the train’s stoppage at Toba Tek Singh in 2017 benefiting thousands of passengers from Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Shorkot, Gojra, Pirmahal and Kamalia and as a result, the railways earned millions from this single train but the change of its route was not understandable.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provincial vice president Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq and PTI MPA from PP 121 Saeed Ahmad Saeedi said they would talk to Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid not to change the route.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2019