JHANG, Dec 7: Hundreds of workers, who were rendered jobless after the shutting down of Government Woolen Centre, Jhang, moved the Lahore High Court with the plea that the Technical and Vocational Training Authority had no right to close down an old and profitable unit.

The petition has been fixed for hearing on Dec 19 in the court of Justice Hamid Ali Shah.

In their petition, workers have taken the plea that the woolen centre, apart from producing woolen rugs, blankets for hospitals and the army, woolen garments and carpets of the finest quality, was also providing training to a large number of students.

They also plead that products being produced by the centre were of excellent quality and were earning huge revenue from the local and international markets.

Talking to Dawn, labour union president Nawaz Bhatti said that the TEVTA, by closing down the centre, had not only deprived the workers of their bread and butter but also robbed the exchequer of valuable foreign exchange.

He urged the president and the prime minister to take notice of the matter and save hundreds of families from starvation.

RING ROAD: Jhang District Nazim Sahibzada Sultan Hameed has said that work on Jhang bypass (ring) road will soon be taken in hand. Talking to journalists here on Thursday, the district nazim said the project would be completed with the collaboration of the provincial and district governments.

He said the 15-kilometer long first phase of the project, linking Bhakar Road with Faisalabad Road, would start from near Kot Khara, 12kms from the city. It would cross Toba Tek Singh Road between Shakargarh sugar mills and Bagh Town and touch the Faisalabad Road at Khairowela drain after crossing Jhang-Gojra Road, ahead of Baig Colony.

The first phase, he said, would be completed within a year after which the ring road would be extended to Chiniot Road near Chenab College and then to Sargodha Road at Paccawala.

The Nazim said the land for the project had already been acquired and the work would start immediately after awarding of the tender. — Correspondent