FAISALABAD, June 18: The city TMA auctioned off the contracts for collection of fees for transfer of property and approval of building plans for a record Rs172.5 million in the Jinnah Hall here on Friday.

Sources said that industrialist Muhammad Sadique Naseem who had close relations with high-ups in the civil and military bureaucracy and Rana Zahid Mehmood, a former councillor of the defunct Faisalabad Municipal Corporation, were the leading bidders for the contracts. Both had reportedly tried hard to muster the support of City Tehsil Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema and other top TMA officials for their bids for the contracts.

Rana Zahid won the contract for the collection of fee for transfer of property rights for Rs85 million. The fee had been auctioned for only Rs49.6 million last year.

The second major contract was the collection of fee for approval of building plans, which went to Mr Naseem for Rs87.5 million. The contract had fetched Rs31.2 million last year.

Sources revealed that Rana Zahid was developing a mega commercial plaza in the city, at Jaranwala Road, and he wanted to get the contract to save the fee at the time of transferring property rights to people who had purchased offices and shops in the plaza.

Rana Zahid also harbours political aspirations and plans to run for the office of city Tehsil Nazim in the next local bodies elections. Mr Naseem who is said to be a close associate of the Gujrat Family is also planning to contest the elections for the post of the city tehsil or district Nazim.