FAISALABAD, July 28: The Tehsil Municipal Administration (city) is continuing with its plan to construct ‘huge structures’ at two important intersections — GTS and railway station — despite strong opposition by the highways department and the executive district officer (works and services).

Such structures in the heart of the city will compound the traffic problems in the area. This is the main city which is still the centre of all commercial activities besides housing the courts, and almost all provincial and federal government offices.

To ensure smooth flow of traffic, an overhead bridge was built at Abdullahpur in the early 1960s which could not cope with the increasing pressure of traffic. Consequently, another bridge was constructed in the mid 1970s at Jhal Khanuana. These bridges bear the brunt of traffic along with the main intersections of GTS and railway station being located at the heart of the city. Due to its importance, the place has always attracted multinational and local companies desirous of keeping their brands and products in focus of the public.

This aspect caught the imagination of city Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema, who decided to raise a huge structure on the pattern of the Clock Tower and its eight bazaars. In a calculated move to deceive the people and the government officials, it is being claimed that the structure was being raised purely with financial assistance of a private export house, the MSC Textile Mills (Pvt), owned by the family of city Nazim and PML-Q MNA Mushtaq Ali Cheema.

Although the city Nazim claimed that both the intersections were being developed by private companies and it was a part of the city beautification campaign, the fact is that multinational companies and local industrialists will offer handsome package to get place for displaying their product.

Meanwhile, the railway and highways high-ups sent letters to the TMA warning them of consequences but to no avail.

It may be recalled that no bids were called for this plan through the press according to legal requirements and the task was entrusted to two local companies by the Nazim as per his own discretion.

Local NGOs and representatives of a cross section of society, in the meanwhile, expressed their dismay and concern over such an ill-planned move. They demanded the government to take notice of such issues of public importance and restrain the TMA from converting the intersections into overcrowded centres of publicity.