FAISALABAD: Businessmen community is allegedly being forced by the district government officials to pay money for the flood-victims, in case of failure their establishments are being challaned by the environment and the health departments, it has learnt.
Entrepreneurs requesting anonymity fearing wrath of the government officers said the district government officers had been calling the businessmen, traders and industrialists to give money for the flood-victims so that they could achieve the targets assigned by the Punjab government. They said a number of businessmen had first donated money for the IDPs and now they had donated generously for the flood victims.
However, they said now the officials were demanding more money citing that flood-victims need more edibles and even cash for their routine affairs. They said businessmen were ready to contribute, however, the alleged blackmailing of the administration was condemnable.
They claimed that dengue had become threat for the businessmen who refused to follow the lines of government officers. The businessmen are being teased through the environment and the health officials.
Entrepreneurs requesting anonymity fearing wrath of the government officers said the district government officers had been calling the businessmen, traders and industrialists to give money for the flood-victims so that they could achieve the targets assigned by the Punjab government. They said a number of businessmen had first donated money for the IDPs and now they had donated generously for the flood victims.
However, they said now the officials were demanding more money citing that flood-victims need more edibles and even cash for their routine affairs. They said businessmen were ready to contribute, however, the alleged blackmailing of the administration was condemnable.
They claimed that dengue had become threat for the businessmen who refused to follow the lines of government officers. The businessmen are being teased through the environment and the health officials.
They said the officials of both departments had been sending them notices without any justification and some of the industrialists had also been challaned.
Entrepreneurs said they would soon send a letter to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif to apprise them of the entire situation.
However, the acting district officer environment Nouman Bashir and EDO (health) Dr Waqar have rejected the claims of the entrepreneurs. They said it was true that district government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against the dengue.
Jamiat Ahle Hadith Faisalabad information secretary, Khalid Azam Abadi said people had been contributing generously for their countrymen. However, the district government officers have been threatening different segments of society to give money to them.
He said it was condemnable that people were being coerced for a noble cause.
In the past, the district government had collected million of rupees for the IDPs by selling the tickets of a friendly cricket match played at the Iqbal stadium on July 24 last.
Tickets of the match were sold forcibly to people through Patwaris, TMOs, encroachment inspectors and employees of other departments. The parliamentarians had also been given tickets for selling.
DCO Noorul Amen Mengal had denied that tickets were sold forcibly. He said 8 booths had been established for tickets selling.
The entrepreneurs have pinned no hope on the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries office bearers for to bring the issue into the notice of the people at the helm of affairs.
They said it was irony that they could not ask the chamber incumbents to take up the issue as instead of supporting the businessmen community they would prefer to save the skin of the government
officers.
They said for years, the chamber had become the mouth organ of the district government officers.
However, the chamber President Sohail Rasheed denied such allegations and said they had not received any complaint so far that entrepreneurs were being threatened by the district administration.
When asked that entrepreneurs have no hope on the chamber incumbents, he said it was not true that we would support the officers.
He said “It is condemnable if businessmen are being threatened by the district government officers.”
Like businessmen Chenab Club members have also been forced to pay for the flood victims.
A member of the Chenab Club who gave his last name as Ahmed told first Rs 2000 had been deducted forcefully from each member for the IDPs. Now members have been forced to pay Rs 1000 each for the flood-victims. He said the members were not against helping their countrymen facing problems because of the military operation against terrorists and flood. But it is not appropriate that they are being forced to pay, he added.
Apart from forced collection, he said club members had been contributing for the victims on their own.
The Chenab Club secretary Ijaz Shah confirmed that Rs 1000 had been collected from each member through a notice.
Entrepreneurs said they would soon send a letter to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif to apprise them of the entire situation.
However, the acting district officer environment Nouman Bashir and EDO (health) Dr Waqar have rejected the claims of the entrepreneurs. They said it was true that district government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against the dengue.
Jamiat Ahle Hadith Faisalabad information secretary, Khalid Azam Abadi said people had been contributing generously for their countrymen. However, the district government officers have been threatening different segments of society to give money to them.
He said it was condemnable that people were being coerced for a noble cause.
In the past, the district government had collected million of rupees for the IDPs by selling the tickets of a friendly cricket match played at the Iqbal stadium on July 24 last.
Tickets of the match were sold forcibly to people through Patwaris, TMOs, encroachment inspectors and employees of other departments. The parliamentarians had also been given tickets for selling.
DCO Noorul Amen Mengal had denied that tickets were sold forcibly. He said 8 booths had been established for tickets selling.
The entrepreneurs have pinned no hope on the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries office bearers for to bring the issue into the notice of the people at the helm of affairs.
They said it was irony that they could not ask the chamber incumbents to take up the issue as instead of supporting the businessmen community they would prefer to save the skin of the government
officers.
They said for years, the chamber had become the mouth organ of the district government officers.
However, the chamber President Sohail Rasheed denied such allegations and said they had not received any complaint so far that entrepreneurs were being threatened by the district administration.
When asked that entrepreneurs have no hope on the chamber incumbents, he said it was not true that we would support the officers.
He said “It is condemnable if businessmen are being threatened by the district government officers.”
Like businessmen Chenab Club members have also been forced to pay for the flood victims.
A member of the Chenab Club who gave his last name as Ahmed told first Rs 2000 had been deducted forcefully from each member for the IDPs. Now members have been forced to pay Rs 1000 each for the flood-victims. He said the members were not against helping their countrymen facing problems because of the military operation against terrorists and flood. But it is not appropriate that they are being forced to pay, he added.
Apart from forced collection, he said club members had been contributing for the victims on their own.
The Chenab Club secretary Ijaz Shah confirmed that Rs 1000 had been collected from each member through a notice.
