FAISALABAD, Nov 28: The employees of the Town Planning and Estate Management Wing of the Faisalabad Development Authority on Wednesday refused to discharge their duties till withdrawal of action initiated by the FDA chief against three employees for inefficiency.
They gathered in front of the FDA main building and raised slogans demanding withdrawal of charges against the suspended employees.
When contacted, FDA director-general Khwaja Maqsood Pervez told this correspondent that the authority intended to launch the Faisal Town Housing Scheme which had been held in abeyance for about a decade.
He said the people of adjoining areas had started removing earth and other material due to the negligence of the FDA staff. To stop this practice, he deputed some employees in shifts to keep a vigilant eye on the people involved in damaging the project. The employees refused to perform duties claiming that it was beyond their responsibility.
Under these circumstances, the FDA chief claimed, there was no option but to take disciplinary action against them under Civil Servants Efficiency and Discipline Rules.
TRAFFIC PLAN: A comprehensive plan has been launched for the smooth flow of traffic.
This was claimed by traffic SP Zahid Husain Sherazi while talking to newsmen here on Wednesday.
He said special teams have been constituted to take action against the drivers of passenger vehicles involved in over-charging, overloading and violation of traffic rules.
He said during the last three months, traffic police booked 55,112 drivers for violations and realized Rs6,643,640 fine from them.
He said the traffic police would arrange special lectures in the educational institutions to inculcate traffic sense upon motorists.
Replying to a question, he said plying of commuter wagons on Faisalabad-Pindi Bhattian Service Road has been permitted on the demand of transporters and citizens.
ROBBERIES, THEFTS: Robbers and thieves took away cash, gold ornaments, grey-cloth, computers and four motorcycles from different parts of the city during last 24 hours.
Two masked men shot at Yaqoob Ahmed, employee of an intelligence agency, when he was going to Chak No 22 GB. The robbers snatched wrist watch and thousands of rupees from him and fled.
Another two robbers held up Muhammad Asif near the district headquarters hospital and took away his motorcycle (FDT 5644).
Thieves took away grey-cloth, worth Rs110,000, from the godown of Bilal Textile Mills in the jurisdiction of Nishatabad police station.
In another incident, thieves broke up the locks of a shop in Rex Market and took away computers worth hundreds of thousands of rupees. The motorcycle of commission agent Riaz Ahmed was stolen from local cotton yarn market.
Naeem Ahmed had parked his motorcycle outside a shop on Kotwali Road. He found it missing when he returned.
The motorcycle of a student of the University of Agriculture, Abid Hafeez, was stolen from the campus.
Meanwhile, young Ali Raza who was injured by dacoits a couple of days ago in his house in Nazimabad, died at the Allied Hospital on Wednesday.
BUTCHERS FINED: Tehsil Municipal administration teams raided various shops of butchers in the city and seized 370kg of substandard meat and beef on Wednesday.
The teams fined 19 butchers for selling substandard meat and beef.
A spokesman said in a statement that a campaign would be launched in the city to take action against the hotels, shops and fast food centres involved in selling substandard stuff within next couple of days.
PRIZE BONDS NUMBERS: Three men were arrested while selling numbers of prize bonds in various parts of the city on Wednesday.
The accused were identified as Muhammad Tariq of Jhang Bazaar, Ghulam Murtaza of Bakar Mandi and Ghulam Muhammad of Jaranwala Road. They were sent behind the bars after registration of cases.