FAISALABAD – District Coordination Officer (DCO) Nasim Sadiq has said that under the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s big city development package, Rs 650 million are being spent on different uplift schemes in the city to solve the problems of heavy traffic and sewerage.
He disclosed the details of the schemes while chairing a meeting to review the pace of implementation on the big city development package of the CM. Tthe meeting was also attended among others by EDO Finance Syed Irshad Hussain, EDO Works Ahmad Tariq, Director Engineering FDA Rashid Majeed, DO Planning Mehar Ramzan, Resident Engineer NESPAK Ahmad Saeed and NLC representative Col Kaleem.
The DCO said the development schemes concerning construction and widening of roads, sewerage system, development and beautification of parks and green belts were being undertaking and would be completed by June 30 this year. He directed the officers concerned to remove encroachments and other technical obstacles for completing the schemes within the stipulated period.
He further stressed that the quality construction work should be ensured through regular monitoring of the construction process. The DCO asked the WASA officers to settle certain issues with the irrigation department for the lining of Surwala Rajbah passing through the middle of the city. He underlined the need for regular on-the-spot inspection and transparent disbursement of government funds.
In another meeting, the DCO expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of the ongoing uplift schemes in health and education sectors and directed the city government officials to take disciplinary action against those contractors who were delaying the development projects.
He gave the deadline of 15 March to complete the development schemes initiated during the last year. He warned that in the event of any lapse the executing agencies would be held responsible. The DCO said the use of substandard material and poor construction should also be identified besides removing all kinds of administrative and technical obstacles in the completion of these schemes.
He ordered the removal of debris from the completed schemes. The executing agencies were also directed to erect the boards of every development scheme containing its details and specification for the awareness of the general public. During the meeting, the schemes of construction of classrooms, toilet blocks, boundary walls and other constructions in different schools were reviewed and new targets for the executing agencies were fixed for different schemes.
The meeting was attended by EDO Finance Syed Irshad Hussain, EDO Education Sohaib Imran, EDO Works Ahmad Tariq and DO Building Mehar Ramzan. Women protest against police: A group of women held a sit-in in front of Regional Police Officer (RPO) Aftab Ahmed Cheema’s office and blocked the road. They were protesting against the insult and torture of ladies in a raid and registration of a case against a woman.
They alleged D-Type Colony Station House Officer (SHO) Ahmed Muneer raided the house of Safia Ali Raza in Allama Iqbal Colony on February 17 and arrested the woman and her relatives under false charges of possession of narcotics. They further alleged the police entirely disregarded the sanctity of the house, insulted the women and tortured them.
The RPO deputed a number of police officers, including Assistant DIG Malik Zafar Ullah, Security Region In-charge Haji Nasir Abbas, Kotwali Road DSP Mian Khalid Mahmood and Kotwali Road SHO Mian Zahid Pehalwan to hold dialogues with the protesters.
Later, the protesters were taken to Regional Investigation SSP Rana Ahmed Hassan who assured them of justice while Iqbal Town SSP Asmat Ullah Junejo was appointed as the inquiry officer who was directed to report within two days.
Ahmed Muneer who has busted many criminal gangs in recent months stated that Safia Ali Raza was caught red handed while selling heroin. He defended his action by saying that the whole family was involved in drug business. He said Safia and Ali Raza were arrested while accused Saleem alias Kukoo escaped and was still being tracked down by D-Type police. He added that the protest was a drama to divert the attention from their crimes.
WOMAN ACQUITTED OF MURDER CHARGE: A woman accused of hatching a conspiracy to kill her husband was acquitted of the murder charge because of insufficient evidence. Bushra Bibi’s husband Muhammad Arshad, a resident of Chak No 74 JB near Thikriwala, was found dead in his fields on August 12, 2008.
Thikriwala police arrested Bushra Bibi and her accomplices Zulfiqar Ali alias Zulfi, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Iqbal from the same village. Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan acquitted all the four accused giving them the benefit of the doubt.
STUDENTS BLOCK HIGHWAY: Following a fist fight, the students of Government Degree College, Jarranwala Road, held a demonstration outside the college and blocked the main highway disrupting the traffic. The protesters, supporting the three injured students during the earlier fighting, were demanding the arrest of the students who, according to them, did not belong to the college.
They also condemned the incompetence of People’s Colony Police Station located very next to the college premises for not doing enough to stop the fighting. One day before, four injured students Ahsan Zia, Muhammad Javed, Hussain Rasool and Khalil Ahmed were rushed to the civil hospital by Rescue 1122 officials.
They alleged the attackers were outsiders and often came to the college to participate in political activities, thus spoiling the academic atmosphere.
They demanded the police register an FIR and arrest them. People’s Colony SHO Malik Zafar Iqbal assured the protesters of taking action against the accused group on which the students dispersed.
