GUJRANWALA, Sept 3: The chief election commissioner on Saturday announced by-poll in PP-97 on Oct 22 after a ruling party MPA Mian Mazhar Javid was disqualified by the Lahore High Court for having a fake BA certificate.

District and Sessions Judge Mazhar Hussain Minhas has been appointed district returning officer, while Additional Sessions Judge Abid Hussain Qureshi will be returning officer.

As per election schedule, nomination papers will be received from Sept 16 to 20, while their scrutiny will be held on Sept 19 to 20. Appeals can be filed on Sept 22, while tribunal will decide these till Sept 26.

The candidates will be allowed to withdraw their papers on Sept 30, while the final list will be displayed on Oct 1

Gepco plan: The Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) has chalked out a programme to minimize trippings and ensure smooth supply during Ramazan by completing maintenance work of grid stations and feeders gradually.

This was stated by Gepco chief-executive Brig Saifullah Khalid while speaking at an open forum here on Saturday.

He directed the company officials to complete the renovation and maintenance work of low and high transmission lines. He warned that meter readers involved in over-billing or under-billing would be taken to task.

Mr Khalid said as many as 294 employees of various cadres were promoted, including five grade-16 officers, while 280 contract officials had also been regularized during the first six months of the current calender year.

He said 432 employees were recruited on ‘son quota’ and 108 on merit during the same period. The Gepco chief said pension cases of 256 employees were cleared, besides provision of scholarships to 378 sons of employees and cash prizes to three position-holders.

He said Rs4.85 million were released under the marriage grant on 232 applications while loans worth Rs6 million were given against 38 cases.