FAISALABAD, Jan 28: Members of the opposition and treasury in the district council exchanged verbal jibes, raised slogans against each other and threw the agenda before the convener at a meeting held here on Wednesday to discuss imposition of toll.

Immediately after recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, several councillors stood on their seats and started raising hue and cry over imposition of toll on five main roads in the district.

The members of the treasury benches reacted in the same manner, claiming that the district government had powers to impose taxes and fees to run the financial affairs.

Thereafter, both the groups gathered in front of convener Raza Nasrullah Ghuman and tried to hammer home their views on the issue. The convener controlled the situation by assuring the members that all of them would be given time to discuss the issue.

Rana Naeem Dastagir tabled a resolution, claiming that the district government had no powers to implement toll imposition decision without the formal notification of the provincial government.

He claimed that this new tax was against the local government ordinance, and demanded its immediate withdrawal. A group of councillors, including Sharafat Ali Khan and Ashfaq Awan, stopped those trying to move resolutions against it and pointed out that the matter could not be discussed at the district council's meeting, as it had already been approved by a majority.

They said "protest against the imposition of toll was meant to achieve nefarious designs by some elements." This led to further confrontation, as members of both the groups again surrounded the convener. After an hour's debate, the convener ruled that imposition of toll on the district's main roads was a serious matter requiring special attention. Therefore, the councillors should behave nicely and run the affairs according to law.

He referred the matter to the Public Accounts Committee for furnishing the house with a detailed report and suggestions tomorrow (Friday) so that these could be sent to the Punjab government for appropriate action.

The convener adjourned the meeting till today (Thursday) for discussing other items on the agenda. Later, talking to newsmen at his chamber, Mr Ghuman said both the groups had the right to protest over any issue. "But they should behave nicely and maintain decorum of the house."

He said the district government had taken this decision at its meeting on Dec 23 last. However, there were a number of discrepancies in allotment of contracts for toll collection, and therefore the matter had been referred to the Public Accounts Committee, he added.

A number of district government officials have been agitating against imposition of toll for the last four days. The councillors opposing the decision claimed that the ruling given by the convener was their great success.

Meanwhile, Rana Naeem Dastagir, Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad and Usman Fida Khawaja, members of the local government, demanded at a news conference that collection of toll should be immediately stopped because the matter had been sent to PAC for taking an appropriate action.