KASUR, Feb 8: The district government will set up two markets of vegetables and grains in Illahabad and Chunian at a cost of Rs12.6 million. The announcement was made at a meeting presided over by district Nazim Rana Imtiaz Ahmad Khan.

The markets would help eliminate the role of middlemen in maintaining prices and supplies, the meeting was informed. The markets would be established by the end of the current financial year. The Illahabad vegetable market would cost Rs4.6 million and the one in Chunian Rs8 million.

The Nazim said the markets would enable farmers to get a better income and make cheaper products available to people. He directed the agriculture, finance and marketing departments to adopt measures for controlling prices of essential commodities in the district.

The meeting decided that licences of profiteers would be cancelled. The Nazim also directed the agriculture department to propose projects for betterment of the existing markets.

The meeting was attended among others by district market committee chairman Nadeem Haroon Khan and an assistant director of the agriculture department.

ACCIDENT: One person was killed while five others were injured when a coaster collided with a motorcycle-rickshaw near the Pattoki bypass on Multan Road.

Police said Shehzad Ahmad and his relatives Rasheed, Shafiq Ahmad, Nazir Ahmad, Bashiran Bibi and Razia Sultana were going on a rickshaw (LOk-2011) when they were hit by the speeding coaster (LHP-3504).

Shehzad Ahmad died on the spot while his five relatives were injured. They were admitted to the THQ hospital in Pattoki. Passersby overpowered coaster driver Muhammad Ashraf and handed him over to police. The Pattoki Sadar police have registered a case against him.