LAHORE, Oct 4: The City District Government Lahore is likely to approach the provincial government for appointment of first class magistrates at town level.

A note to the effect is likely to be forwarded to chief secretary Salman Siddique within a couple of days, officials say.

The magistrates can be appointed under Section 141(9) of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 which reads: “The government shall appoint one or more magistrates of the First Class at the headquarters of a tehsil or town, who shall function exclusively under the sessions judge and not perform any executive function, to deal with the cases relating to local and special laws, and the offences under this Ordinance.”

The officials say the step will help ease burden on judicial magistrates who are presently dealing with such matters in addition to other duties and cases under the Punjab Local Government Ordinance.

They say the slow pace of disposal of cases by the judicial magistrates is affecting the CDGL drives against encroachments, food adulteration, pollution, hoarding and profiteering etc.

The first class magistrates after their appointment will also monitor the working of around 100 inspectors appointed to enforce various local government by-laws.

At least one first-class magistrate is being sought for each town and the number may be increased later, the officials say.

The provincial government has earlier designated 18 revenue department officers as special price magistrates in the CDGL to check profiteering and hoarding. But the arrangement is not working because the magistrates-designate have to perform their duties in the revenue department in addition to that. Moreover, the number of special magistrates is too small to raid and check prices in the whole district. In the old system, there used to be around 35 magistrates in the provincial metropolis. Now for the whole district only 18 magistrates have been appointed and they too can monitor only profiteering and hoarding.

When contacted, DCO Muhammad Ijaz said municipal magistracy had become a requirement to run the system introduced under the devolution plan. Without municipal magistracy and municipal police, the system will lose its effectiveness, he said.