FAISALABAD, July 13: The district government has reportedly increased the rate of toll tax while Jaranwala tehsil has also been included in the tax net.

Formal orders to collect toll tax have also been given to the contractors. The contractors are collecting the tax forcibly from the owners of vehicles and posted armed men at toll plazas.

The worst affected are the residents and transporters of Millat Road, Narwala Road, Painsara-Dijkot Road and Samundri-Garh Kanjwani Road as Rs10 has been fixed for buses and trucks against the previous rate of Rs4, and wagons and tractor-trolleys against Rs2. For cars and jeeps, Rs5 has been fixed against Rs2.

The district government has imposed toll tax on the residents of Jaranwala tehsil and Rs10 are being charged from vehicles despite the fact that there was no toll tax last year.

The district government had imposed toll tax on 17 roads of the district, including five main highways, last year. The collection of the tax was withheld in the face of strong protest which continued for around three months by the people from all walks of life. The protest forced the government to abolish the tax from 10 roads.

But the move infuriated the residents of areas in and around Samundri, Jaranwala, Tandlianwala, Millat Road, Narwala Road and Dijkot Road who took to the roads. The government officials had assured the protesters that the matter would be resolved within a week and the tax would be withdrawn. But no positive step in this regard has so far been taken.

BOOKED: Police on Tuesday registered a case against the management of a local energy unit on charges of damaging the underground fibre optic of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited.

PTCL Assistant Divisional Engineer Tanveer Ahmed lodged a complaint with the police alleging that the employees of a local energy unit uprooted a pole near the Khurrianwala-Shahkot Road, disconnecting the wire. As a result, communication between Faisalabad and Lahore remained suspended for about eight hours.

He claimed that the company had to sustain heavy financial loss due to the negligence by the management and contractors of the industrial unit. The Khurrianwala police have arrested Rana Ashfaq Ahmed, a contractor of the mills.

PROTEST THREAT: Residents of a dozen villages situated along the Jhang Road have threatened to block roads against the district government's decision of imposing ban on entry of heavy vehicles in the city through the Faisalabad-Jhang Road.

A group of villagers said the district government had imposed ban on the entry of buses to provide an opportunity to the owners of metro bus service. They claimed that the transporters had been directed to enter the city via Samundri Road bypass instead of Jhang Road which was shorter than the earlier route.

They claimed that residents of Chak 68-JB, Sadhar, Dhandra, Johlan, Gurdwara, Tahirpura, Islampura, Airport, Pul Cholan, Godown Chowk, Rashidabad, Bhatta Stop, NIAB Colony, Chungi Morr, Altaf Ganj, Shadab Morr, Gulfishan Colony, Partab Nagar, Sabzi Mandi and Lakar Mandi have been facing serious problems due to ban.

They demanded action against the officials who deliberately adopted policies just to please an influential transporter at the cost of convenience of the people and commuters.