SAHIWAL: Ex-contractors and employees of the Tehsil Municipal Administration, Chichawatni, are allegedly involved in extorting money in the name of commission from animal traders at newly-established cattle market.

This is in violation of the Punjab government’s policy after its project of establishing nine “Cattle Market Management Companies” (CMMC) at divisional level to regularise cattle market affairs by discouraging extortion, curtailing role of the middleman, contractors and commission mafia. These companies were formed as an initiative of the Local Government and Community Development Department. The project included establishment of the cattle market at Chichawatni with initial seed money of Rs252million. As Punjab government has not released funds for cattle market the administrator of Tehsil Municipal Corporation, Chichawatni, was asked to run the cattle market affairs.

Under the new setup, commission agents, contractors and official mafia has no role in selling and buying of animals. The animal sellers have just to bring animals to the cattle market and they are given a receipt having “Free” as its caption, showing that no money is to be paid to anybody. However, there are a number of complaints from animal traders and fodder sellers who say that the people claiming to be TMA’s contractors are extorting money in the name of commission from them.

Dawn talked to animal traders in the cattle market who had come from Rawalpindi, Vehari, Haripur, Gojra, and Tandilianwala. They all complained that there was a fixed rate of commission and for selling each big animal, they had to pay Rs500 commission while each truck entering the cattle market had to pay Rs1,500 to Haji Idrees, the ex-TMA contractor.

Locals claimed that Haji Idrees had connections with few PML-N legislators of Sahiwal division with whose help he was carrying on the illegal practice.

Wali Muhammad, Chichawatni TMO and operational head of the cattle market, denied the allegations of money extortion by any contractor or TMA staff.

“I assure you that no TMA staff member is involved in corruption,” he claimed.

Muddasir Kafi, Chichawatni assistant commissioner, said he had received no written complaints regarding extortion of money from livestock traders.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2014