MULTAN
In a bid to facilitate the citizens during upcoming holy month of Ramazan, the district administration is going to set up 18 Ramazan Bazaars besides organizing 120 Ramazan Dastarkhwans for the poor. Sources said that earlier just seven Ramazan Bazaars were set up by the district administration but District Coordination Officer (DCO) Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah, while declaring this number insufficient, has ordered setting up 18 bazaars. The bazaars will be set up at Shamasabad, Madni Chowk New Multan, Mumtazabad, MDA Chowk, Qadirpur Rawan, Sher Shah, Qasim Bela, Sooraj Miani, Gulgasht, Double Phatak, Makhdoom Rasheed, Adda Laar, Jalalpur Pirwala and Shujabad. Sources said that all Assistant Commissioners are asked by the DCO to select appropriate spots for setting up the bazaars. The bazaars will be set up in organized manner and the carts will not be allowed. The DCO also asked the concerned officials to make sanitation arrangements in the bazaars, arrange parking place and ensure foolproof security. The district administration is learnt to have decided to supply to the citizens daily use items at 20 per cent less rate than the market. Similarly, special measures are being adopted to ensure quality of daily use items.
Meanwhile, chairing a meeting here at his office on Monday, the DCO expressed strong reservation on the method used for the auction of commodities in sabzi mandi and suspended the inspector market committee for his alleged involvement in sale of vegetables and fruits at high rates. The DCO said that the middlemen purchased commodities and then sold them at higher rates despite the fact that they could not do trading in the mandi. He directed market committee officials to supervise auction of fruits and vegetables personally. He said that the middlemen fleeced both growers and citizens. He hurled a warning to all market committee officials, saying they would be fired if they failed to improve their performance.
Boy kidnapped for ransom: Unidentified persons kidnapped a boy for ransom from Shah Rukan-e-Alam Colony here the other night, police said.
Osama, 16, went out of his house for offering Isha prayer and did not return, his father told police. The kidnappers are learnt to have demanded Rs10 million for the release of Osama.
A string of kidnapping for ransom incidents has taken place in Multan during the last couple of month, panicking the citizen. However, police have failed to nab the criminals so far. The family of Osama confirmed that the kidnappers had contacted them and demanded ransom for his release.
When contacted, s spokesman of Shah Rukan-e-Alam police said that investigations were underway and the boy would be recovered soon.