MULTAN, Dec 5: The Multan Municipal Corporation (MMC) has chalked out a plan to shift cattle pens from different residential areas to the colonies on the outskirts of the city.

A tract of 1,870 kanal will be available for Gawalas around the city. Of the total area, a 1,200-kanal tract will be around the Matital Bypass, 350 kanal on the old Shujaabad Road and 320 on the Duniapur Road.

Charges each marla will be 10,000 in Matital area, 13,500 on the old Shujaabad Road and 8,500 around the Duniapur Road. The cost of providing metalled roads, electricity and proper sewage system will be covered in the fixed amount.

Cattle dung has for years been creating sewage problems in Multan as 6,400kg dung is recreated daily by 3,200 buffaloes in around 1,300 registered cattle pens. It has also become a permanent source of communicable diseases like malaria and tetanus.

Scores of people have time and again complained about traffic delays caused by the cattle brought on the roads by Gawalas.

Understanding the need to set up colonies outside the city, former administrator negotiated with cattle pen owners. However, the Gawalas moved the Lahore High Court, Multan Bench, against the decision.

The court fixed the rates of the land. The pen owners submitted Rs12.9 million for purchasing the land but they again moved the court for having aversion to development charges.

Meanwhile, the committee constituted by city Nazim Faisal Mukhtar has announced that the Gawalas, who have made payment including development charges, will be given ownership rights within 50 days. The rest of the Gawalas have been directed to submit applications to get their land allotted in the new colonies by the end of the year.

The Gawalas, who will not follow the instructions, are liable to pay fine to the MMC authorities, it was decided.