MUZAFFARGARH: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will start a project to make the Muzaffargarh Municipal Committee (MC), besides five others, a model city with a cost of Rs90 billion.

MC Chairman Akram Chandia told Dawn the six MCs included Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and Muzaffargarh.

He said foreign teams had visited Muzaffargarh and surveyed the city to install new sewerage systems, roads, security cameras, modern traffic control system, clean drinking water supply schemes and water treatment plants.

He said the solid waste management and recycling of plants, a modern sports complex, a convention centre, women’s parks and walking and jogging tracks were also on the plan. Under the project, the city would get new bus terminal, streetlights, community centres and transport.

Mr Chandia said the ADB would implement the project in partnership with local government departments. He said he was thankful to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the ADB for including Muzaffargarh on the list.

Work will start on the project in six months.

CRACKDOWN: Up to 21 brokers of sugarcane were arrested on Monday and 84 cases registered in all against the brokers buying sugarcane privately at low rates in Muzaffargarh.

Dawn learnt the crackdown started when farmers threatened to take out a procession against the brokers.

Deputy Commissioner Saif Anwar Jappa made teams under assistance commissioners to raid the places of sugarcane buying where the yield is being bought at Rs100 per 45 kilo.

Sugar mills administrations also issued receipts to farmers of Rs180 per maund but in fact, paid them Rs150 per 40 kilo.

The DC took action against brokers who were buying the cane outside mills on Monday Muzaffargarh AC Dr Saifullah Bhatti got registered cases under the sugarcane act in Saddar and Karamdad Qureshi police stations.

DIES: An electrical engineering student, 24, died late on Sunday owingto developing complications after donating his liver to his ailing father at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital in Lahore.

Kamran Leghari fell unconscious and never recovered after he donated the liver to his father Mujahid Leghari for a liver transplant. Mujahid Leghari’s transplant was done successfully.

When the body arrived in his native town Bet Mir Hazar, hundreds of people mourned the death, while some were seen calling him a martyr. Family members said that they had asked him not to donate the liver but he went ahead with the plan.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2018