FAISALABAD, Dec 31: Shehzad Ali Siddiqui has been elected chairman and Muhammad Muazzam senior vice-chairman of the Faisalabad Dry Port Trust for the year 2004.

The announcement of new office-bearers was made during a meeting of the Board of Trustees held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Mukhtar Ahmed Sheikh. Chairman-elect Shahzad Ali Siddiqui said that he would try his optimum to develop the dry port and boost exports and imports.

He said that he would ensure discipline, proper checking of the Karachi Terminal Office, reconstitution of different sub-committees, disposal of various contracts through public auction, purchase of top-lifters and stackers and afford maximum facilities to exporters and importers.

He assured that in case of serious irregularity in any FDPT department, the incharge or manager concerned would be held responsible.

REFUSED: The Tehsil Municipal Administration (Sadar) refused to implement orders of the provincial government in respect of transfer of an engineer posted as Tehsil Officer (Infrastructure) due to financial interests in the allocation of contracts of developmental projects worth Rs50 million.

According to a source, the provincial government had posted Sheikh Zafar as Tehsil Officer against a vacant post in the TMA Sadar. But Khalid Hussain, a sub-engineer with additional charge of the TO, in league with Sadar Tehsil Nazim Muhammad Afzal refused to relinquish the charge forcing Mr Zafar to cancel his posting orders.

The provincial Local Government and Rural Development on Dec 9, 2003, issued fresh orders and posted Dildar Muhammad (BPS-18) as TO, Faisalabad Sadar TMA. But despite the passage of over 20 days, the charge has not so far been handed over to Mr Dildar.

The source claimed that the contracts of developmental schemes worth Rs50 million had been awarded to a number of contractors and the formal work orders would be issued within next couple of weeks.

The present TO and the Tehsil Nazim were running from pillar to post to get their commission from the uplift projects and they could not afford the posting of new TO (Ins), the source added.