GUJRAT: New digital traffic signals as well as lights will be installed in at six busy squares of the city at a cost of Rs29 million.

The scheme has been proposed by the local administration to the Punjab government in its effort to bring the traffic at these squares in a discipline as well as to lit them with heavy lights.

The earlier traffic signals installed in four different squares of the city have been out of order for the last many years and the Gujrat Municipal Corporation could not restore them.

Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Safdar Virk told Dawn the administration the scheme had been proposed for the current fiscal year’s development budget and the estimated cost of the project was around Rs 29 million.

He said the squares included Kutchehry Chowk, Jinnah Chowk (previously known as Jail Chowk), GTS Chowk, and Ramtalai roundabout along old GT Road, Mehmda Chowk along Bhimbher Road and Boley Chowk along Jalalpur Jattan road where traffic would often get choked in the busy hours.

The Punjab local government department has approved the scheme and it’s execution is expected to be launched during the next couple of months.

robbers’ gangs busted: The City police busted two robbers’ gangs involved in robberies and murder of two persons in separate incidents near the industrial estate area of Lorry Adda police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asad Ishaq told Dawn a youth, Azlaan of Kalara Kalan, was shot dead by robbers on June 23. Similarly, he said, another middle-aged man having a pushcart of roasted black grams, Muhammad Ishaq, was killed at his place as the robbers took away cash and other valuables from there on June 13.

Lorry Adda SHO Imran Farooq Sohi and his team traced and arrested three members of Chand Gang, namely its ring leader Nasir Muhammad alias Chand of Kalara Khasa, Ali Raza of Chah Tarehng and Muhammad Muzammil of Kalara Punawan.

Police said the suspects were the factory workers and they were also involved in several other robbery incidents and murder of two people.

Meanwhile, members of Pehlwan Gang were also arrested by the Lorry Adda police.

The arrested members of the gang were identified as Muhammad Ansar alias Qaiser Shah and Syed Ali Haider, residents of Gujrat city, who were involved in snatching and lifting of motorcycle-rickshaws.

Police recovered Rs550,000, two motorcycle-rickshaws and two pistols used in incidents from the gang members.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2023