FAISALABAD, June 19: The Tehsil Municipal Administration (city) authorities, with the connivance of a contractor, have allegedly misappropriated Rs13 million received from the owners of commercial properties during the last six months.

Sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the TMA (city) had awarded the Rs17.6 million contract to Ali Enterprises for the recovery of buildings commercialization, malba (rubble), conversion and other fees.

The contractor was to recover the fees according to an agreement signed by the TMA (city) Nazim and the Ali Enterprises chief of Malikpur, Faisalabad.

Under the agreement, the contractor was bound to deposit additional amount in case the rate of the fees was increased by the provincial government.

The provincial government had on Nov 25, 2002, enhanced the commercialization fee on transfer of property, conversion cases, buildings and other fees and directed the tehsil Nazims to make the recovery accordingly.

The TMA (city) Nazim issued a special order in this regard, but took no measures to recover the additional amount.

The sources said the contractor received additional Rs13 million on account of fees during the last six months, but did not deposit even a single penny with the government account.

ROADS: The Tehsil Municipal Administration (city) has awarded contracts for the construction of five major city roads to the National Logistic Cell.

A TMA spokesman said work on the Rs180 million projects for the construction of Circular Road, State Bank Road, Jhang Road, D-Grounds Road and Mall Road would start within a couple of days.

Another project had been prepared for the construction of 20 city roads which would be completed in phases.

Five main city roads would be completed in the first phase, and work for the same would start within a couple of days.