TOBA TEK SINGH: The Jhang Satellite police on Saturday booked Shakarganj Sugar Mills owner Ali Altaf Saleem, the son of former federal minister for privatisation Altaf Saleem, and general manager finance Malik Muhammad Asif for not paying a farmer’s dues worth more than Rs1.3m against the supply of sugarcane to the mills.
The first information report (FIR) was registered under the Sugar Factories Control Act 1950 on the report of Naib Tehsildar Talib Hussain. He said he had been appointed as a representative of the deputy commissioner with powers of the district additional cane commissioner.
He added that DC directed him to register the case on the complaint of a farmer Ghulam Murtaza of village Sahamalwala who supplied sugarcane to the mills during its crushing season but had not been paid although the sugar mill was bound to clear his outstanding amount within 15 days.
GRANT RAISE: The Punjab Labour and Human Resource Department increased the marriage grant of the children of industrial workers from Rs200,000 to Rs400,000 and the death grant from Rs600,000 to Rs800,000.
A notification issued on Saturday by the department’s secretary with powers of the Punjab Workers Welfare Fund chairperson said the increase had been made in pursuance of the decision of the governing body of the Workers Welfare Fund in its 156th meeting held on Feb 24 in Islamabad. The enhancement in the grants amount will be effective from March 27.
INJURED: Robbers shot at and injured three animal traders over resistance in the early hours of Saturday near Khoi Wala Adda on Jhang-Gojra Road in Jhang.
According to Rescue 1122, the traders were transporting animals from Gojra to sell in Jhang in a mini-truck when they were intercepted by the robbers. As they offered resistance, the outlaws opened indiscriminate fire on them. As a result, three of them received bullet injuries. They were identified as Usman (30), Arsalan (24) and Asif (33). They were shifted to the Jhang DHQ Hospital.
Meanwhile, two women passengers were critically injured when a van collided with a divider on the Bypass Road at Samundri.
Rescue 1122 reported that the van coming from Samundri was going to Faisalabad and the accident took place due to speeding. The wounded were identified as Natasha Abbas and Maryam Riasat. They were shifted to Samundri Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.
BRIDGE: The work on beautification of Nishatabad overhead bridge in Faisalabad has been started by the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) and district administration.
Deputy Commissioner Ali Anan Qamar visited the site on Saturday and inspected the project.
FDA Chief Engineer Mehr Ayub, Deputy Director Engineering Umer Iqbal, Chief Officer Metropolitan Municipal Corporation Zubair Wattoo also accompanied him.
The DC directed the authorities to clean the entire area properly and devise a comprehensive plan to beautify the site besides fixing the benches and laying the tuff tiles. He said the area should be developed just like a public park with a pleasant environment for providing the citizens with recreational facilities.
Mr Qamar directed the officials concerned to follow a solid strategy to discourage the encroachments in the project area in the future and ensure the long lasting beautification of the site.
He said a number of measures had been taken to carry forward the city beautification plan with the collaboration of the institutions concerned. The FDA chief briefed the DC on the beautification plan.
Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2023