LAHORE: The Shahpur Kanjran cattle market will be shifted to Manga Mandi after experts declared the existing place vulnerable to disease attacks that may also affect the hygiene standards of export quality meat at the slaughterhouse operating at an adjacent location.

A PC-1 of the project worth over Rs4.4 billion has also been prepared and officials concerned will send it to the planning and development department in a couple of days, Dawn has learnt.

The decision shows the poor planning of the Shahpur Kanjran market which was developed at 70 acres.

Officials say that besides threats of breakouts of diseases in the area, the Shahpur Kanjran cattle market created time to time traffic congestion on Multan Road.

According to the PC-1, the Manga Mandi cattle market and an agri business centre would be developed on 225 acres, says Lahore Division Cattle Market Management Company Managing Director Dr Ehtashamul Haq.

He told Dawn on Tuesday the decision was taken after international experts, including a Saudi delegation, raised concerns over the Shahpur Kanjran market’s location.

Dr Haq said he did not know why the planners of Shahpur Kanjran market had not thought of traffic and hygiene problems.

He said according to international norms, there should be a considerable distance between a cattle market and a slaughterhouse.

He said the Manga Mandi market would have a modern agricultural business centre with facilities such as an auction ring, tractors, fertilizers, a display centre, an auditorium and banks. He said the cattle market would be away from Multan Road to avoid traffic congestion. He said he had also recommended small cattle markets in the north and east of Lahore. “We hope that we will start operating the new market in Manga before the next Eidul Azha,” he concluded.

HELD: Various price control magistrates on Tuesday had 63 shopkeepers arrested for overcharging in open markets.

The officials, according to a spokesman, also imposed fine amounting to Rs25,800 on others.

Meanwhile, the dengue emergency response committees of Ravi and Data Ganj Bakhsh towns on Tuesday directed the field teams to intensify in/outdoor dengue surveillance in various localities.

Published in Dawn, September 30th , 2015

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