DC visits G-7 sasta bazaar

Ramazan bazaars set up by Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration in the city and rural areas of the federal capital are providing maximum relief to the peoples and quality of food items is also being ensured at these bazaars, said Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amer Ali Ahmed during his surprise visit to G-7 sasta bazaar on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the magistrates during price checking on Wednesday imposed Rs 17,000 fine on the profiteers.

Drive against profiteering continues

Crackdown against profiteers continued in Islamabad on the 5th consecutive day of anti-profiteering drive by Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration.

According to ICT spokesman, magistrates conducted checking in the city and rural areas of Islamabad on Monday and imposed fines of Rs 45,870 on 61 profiteers for not displaying rate lists of food items and overcharging.

The administration has asked the shopkeepers to display the rate lists prominently at their shops to avoid heavy penalties. Total fine imposed during last five days reached Rs 155, 980.  

Islamabad Chief Comm- issioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada has appreciated the performance of checking teams and directed them to ensure the stability in the prices of food items and keep strict check over the prices in open market so that the profiteers could not exploit the consumers.

Sasta Bazaars fail to provide relief

Despite the fact that district administration has set up four sasta bazaars and 35 fair price shops in the federal capital, prices of edible items have not come down as yet. The rate list prescribed for rural areas of the capital fixes price of potatoes at Rs 28 per kilo but shopkeepers sold potatoes at Rs 35 on the first day of Ramazan. Similarly, tomatoes should be sold at Rs 90 per kilo but shopkeepers sold the same at Rs 130 per kilo. Lady Finger should be sold at Rs 50 per kg but was available at Rs 70 per kg to shoppers throughout the capital. The rate list fixes prices of apples at Rs 52 but vendors charged Rs 80 from the consumers. According to the list, mangoes should be sold at Rs 60 but shopkeepers charged much more as compared to what has been fixed by the list. Similarly, grapes should be sold at Rs 100 per kg but shopkeepers sold grapes at Rs 150.

Meanwhile, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration during a crackdown on profiteers imposed Rs 28,900 fine on 60 profiteers on Thursday for overcharging and not displaying the rate list of fruits and vegetables in the markets. According to spokesman for ICT administration, 14 price checking teams headed by the assistant commissioners and magistrates raided the city and rural areas markets and imposed fines on shopkeepers involved in overcharging and not displaying the rate list of food items including fruits and vegetables.

Deputy Commissioner Office

Main role of Deputy Commissioner Office is to perform regulatory, executive development and miscellaneous functions of Government as provided under the Pakistan Code, the Punjab Code, West Pakistan Code and other excessive responsibilities from time to time. The Deputy Commissioner instead of being the traditional head of the District Administration is informal coordinator of Govt. activities performed by various Nation-building departments and to assume altogether an innovative and distinctive role. The Deputy Commissioner, in addition to his normal duties heads 08 attached departments which include a set of regulatory departments beside those which have been assigned the task of rural development, are as under:-


    * Auqaf Department.
    * Cooperative Societies Department.
    * Civil Defence Organization.
    * District Attorney Office.
    * Excise & Taxation Department.
    * Food Department.
    * Health Department.
    * Local Government & Rural Development.


Regulatory functions of District Magistrate Office, ICT Islamabad.
Functions of Deputy Commissioner in Islamabad Capital Territory Administration
 Directorate of Development and Finance (Director Dev/Finance)
SUMMARY
Total Budget Allocation ICTA (24 Budgetary Units). Rs. 1,561,357,000

   1. ICT Police Rs. 1,363,910,000
   2. Rest of the 23 Departments. Rs. 197,447,000

Allocation for
Chief Commissioner’s Office. Rs. 38.000,000
Major break up

    * Pay and Allowances. Rs. 11,700,000
    * Rent of Office Buildings. Rs. 13,000,000
    * Other all head of accounts. Rs. 13,300,000
Major Function:

    * Evaluation/consolidation/preparation of revised estimates, budget estimates, re-appropriation cases, supplementary grants and review budget estimates of non development sector.
    * Evaluation/consolidation/preparation of revised estimates and budget estimates of revenue receipts.
    * Preparation and submission of expenditure statements and reconciliation statements.
    * Submission and preparation of New Item Statements (NIS)/Budget Orders (BOs).
    * Arranging, conducting, and coordinating of revenue receipts audit.
    * Settlement of audit observations, advance paras and draft paras with audit authorities.
    * Submission of replies of DPs and preparation of briefs to be discussed in the National Assembly at the forum of Public Accounts Committee.
    * Evaluation of appropriation of accounts.
    * To assist in conducting and holding of Pre-DAC, DAC, Pre-PAC and PAC meetings at different levels.
    * All types of purchases involving tender system beyond the limit of Rs.40, 000/- and exceeding to financial powers vested in head of Offices.
    * Processing of medical bills, T.A. bills.
    * Processing and sanctioning of all types of long term advances including priority cases (HBA, MCA & GPF, etc.)
    * Maintenance of PLA maintained by the Chief Commissioner, ICT with the FTO, Islamabad, cash book, reconciliation and issuance of cheques.
    * Processing of hiring cases in respect of residential and office accommodation.
    * To carry out the repair of office and residential accommodation.
    * Arrangements for executive meetings chaired by the Chief Commissioner, ICT.
    * Purchase and issuance of store and stock items from the open market.
    * To carry out the repair, maintenance and purchase of durable goods.
    * To maintain a fleet of vehicles and records of POL, Log Books, Movement Register, Dead Stock Registers, etc.
    * To keep record all types of payments.
    * To carry out pre-audit of Shrine Fund.
    * Opening of chests and depositing of cash with Banks of Auqaf managed Shrines (Barri Imam (R.A), Sakhi Mehmood Sultan etc.).
    * To keep the record and processing of pay and allowance claims in respect of employees paid out of Shrine Fund.
    * To maintain and processing the cases of long terms advances, hiring, Naat & Qirat competition, Mehfil-e-Shabin etc.
    * To process the cases of all types of compensation out of Shrine Fund.
    * Cases of all types of purchase repair and maintenance of the Auqaf managed mosques.
FINANCE WING
1. Finance Wing, ICT is functioning under the Supervisory Control of Director (Dev/Finance). Accounts Officer, ICT is working under the Director (Dev/Fin) with Budget & Accounts Branch, Cash Branch and General & Co-ordination Branch. All financial powers of Head of Department, ICT Admin (Chief Commissioner, ICT) as re-delegated to the Director (Dev/Fin) are being exercised for this office and for 25 budgetary units of ICT Administration as per Annexure “A”.
2. The brief of Non-Development Budget is as follows:-
      Allocation     Expenditure
i) Previous year 2006-2007.     Rs. 35,321,000/-     Rs.38,257,782/-
ii) Current year 2007-2008.     Rs. 38,000,000/-     Nil
3. Detail budget of all budgetary units is enclosed at Annexure “A”.

Chief Commissioner Office

Under Article 1 of Constitution Islamabad Capital Territory is laid down as Constituent of the state, after four provinces. Under President s order No.18 of 1980, executive authority of Federation is exercised by the President through an administrator (now Chief Commissioner).
The Chief Commissioner?s Office is performing its administrative and day to day activities through three Directorates:

    * Directorate of Administration (Director Administration)
    * Directorate of Development and Finance (Director Dev/Finance)
    * Directorate of Agriculture, Industries and Labor (Director AIL)

Each of the Directors is assisted by a Deputy Director. Additionally, there is a Deputy Commissioner and two Additional Deputy Commissioners that is Additional Deputy Commissioner General (ADCG) and Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR). Moreover, there are four Assistant Commissioners designated as:

    * Assistant Commissioner Rural
    * Assistant Commissioner City
    * Assistant Commissioner Saddar
    * Assistant Commissioner Headquarters

In addition, there are eight different attached departments working under the administrative control of the Chief Commissioner. These attached departments are:

    * Excise and Taxation Department
    * Local Government
    * Health (Rural) Department
    * Auqaf Department
    * Food Department
    * District Attorney Department
    * Civil Defense Department
    * Cooperative Department

Domain Of Islam

Province	Islamabad Capital Territory
Altitude	457-610 meters above sea level
Area	906 KM Sq.
Calling Code	051
Time Zone	PST (GMT + 5)
Union Councils	12
Population	1,018,000 (Census in 1999)
Density	1123 persons/KM Sq.
Latitude/Longitude	33°40'N 73°10'E.

The Government of Pakistan decided to establish a new capital Islamabad, the "domain of Islam" on February 24, 1960. Construction work began in 1961 and its first residents immigrated from other parts of the country of 1963. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) established in 1960 to undertake municipal functions through legislative amendments in 1966 as the city continued to be occupied by new immigrants.
On January 1, 1981, administrative functions were assumed by the Federal Government with direct administration by the President or an Administrator appointed by him, and the Islamabad Administration was established and assigned all the powers and functions of a Provincial Government.
The Capital Territory is spread over an area of 906 Sq. KM having a population of 1,018,000 (as per 1999 census) is divided into two segments; namely,
1. Islamabad Urban area proper, including institutional and industrial area
2. Islamabad rural area. The rural area of Islamabad encompasses 133 villages and administratively consists of 12 Union Councils.

Violation Of Law and Rules

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Tariq Pirzada has ordered the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to revoke licenses of 22 out of 174 private security companies, as their owners have not applied for the renewal of licenses and are operating in federal capital in violation of the rules, Daily Times learnt on Monday.
The sources said these companies did not make arrangements for periodic training of their guards and did not ensure their security clearance from the police concerned prior to their deployment in Islamabad.
Pirzada has directed the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner and SSP to seal the offices of these 22 security companies under section 10 as they are operating in violation of the Private Security Companies Ordinance 2001 and Private Security Companies Rules 2001.
The companies whose licenses have been revoked include Hayat Security Services Pvt Ltd, Merit Security Services Pvt Ltd, Miraj Security Guards Pvt Ltd, Rajpoot Security and Management Services Pvt Ltd, Buzard Security Pvt Ltd, Hi-Guards Pvt Ltd, Security Guards Pvt Ltd, Al-Khalid Security Services Pvt Ltd, City Security Services Pvt Ltd, Joint Security Management Pvt Ltd, Habsha Security Services Pvt Ltd, Field Security Services Pvt Ltd, Saim Security Company, Spider Security Services Pvt Ltd, Arrows Secuiryt Servies Pvt Ltd, NS Secuirty Services Pvt Ltd, Frontier Security System Pvt Ltd, Security Enforcement and Management Services Pvt Ltd, Famous Security Services and Al-Asakar Company Pvt Ltd.
On the directions of the chief commissioner, the ICT administration and police have started inspection of private security companies operating in the capital to ensure the implementation of Private Security Companies Ordinance 2001 and Security Companies Rules 2001 in letter and spirit. The administration will cancel the licenses of those private security companies found violating the law.
The sources said the security companies had been directed to get their licenses renewed on time, arrange periodic training of their guards and ensure the antecedents / security clearance of their guards by the police concerned prior to their deployment as required under the law.

Capital’s Security Plan For Ramazan Finalised

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and Islamabad Police in a meeting on Tuesday finalised the arrangements for security of mosques and Imambargahs in the Federal Capital during Ramazan.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amer Ali Ahmed presided over the meeting, which was attended by religious scholars belonging to all school of thoughts, Islamabad SSP Tahir Alam Khan, SSP Traffic Dr Moeen Masood, Deputy Director Auqaf Asim Ayub, assistant commissioners and magistrates.
The ICT administration, Auqaf Department and police in cooperation with the religious scholars finalised the arrangements. The religious scholars and prayer leaders agreed upon a code of conduct to be implemented during Ramazan for ensuring an atmosphere of brotherhood and religious tolerance. The ICT Auqaf Department has prepared the code of conduct.
It was agreed that the religious scholars in Juma prayer sermons would promote religious harmony, unity and brotherhood amongst the faithful. The prayer leaders will activate peace committees for internal security of mosques and will use only one gate of the mosque during Traveeh prayers. The volume of the loudspeakers will be kept at a low level. The mosque committee will inform the administration and police in advance about any religious gathering. It was agreed that mosque committee would deploy volunteer at the gate with metal detectors during the prayer timings that will be extra vigilant during the prayer timings. It was also agreed that no vehicle would be parked near the worship places.
The DC called upon the ulema to cooperate with the administration and police in security arrangements. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials have also been asked to cut the bushes around the mosques and imambargahs and make proper arrangement of lighting at these places besides sufficient supply of water during Ramazan.

4 Sasta Bazaars, 35 Fair Price Shops

The four sasta bazaars and 35 fair price shops, set up by Islamabad Capital Territory Administration in capital’s rural and urban areas, have started operations to ensure sale of necessary food items at reduced rates during Ramazan.

“Both the facilities will remain operational throughout the holy month to provide all food items, fruits, vegetables, flour and sugar at the rates lower than the weekly bazaars established by the Capital Development Authority,” Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amer Ahmed Ali told APP.

He said Sasta bazaars had been set up in sector G-7 opposite to Blue Area, Rawat, Bhara Kahu and Tarlai. He said these bazaars would work under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner (Sadar) Captain (r) Fareed to ensure sale of all food items at subsidized rates or as defined by the administration.

“All Sasta bazaars will have outlets of Utility Stores Corporation. Every bazaar will provide a 20 kg flour bag at Rs 425. The administration will also endeavor to set up more points for sale of flour,” said the DC.

According to the deputy commissioner, 35 fair price shops have also started functioning a couple of days ago where the commodities are available at reduced rates including flour bag at Rs. 425, Dal Channa at Rs 58 per kg, Ghee at Rs 115 per kg and Basin at Rs 64 per kg.

The shops as fair price shops include: Javed Co-operative Store G-6/1, Liaquat Fair Price Shop Co-operative Market G-6/1-3, Chaudhry Traders Chanab Market G-7/1 , Mudasar Abbasi General Store Awami Market G-7/2 , Al-Rehman General Store Al - Mansoor Market G-8/1, Goodluck Store Allah Wali Market F-8/1, I-B Traders I and T Center G-10/1, Gull Traders G-11/2, Chaudhry Traders Darbar Market G-11/2, Shahid General Store Sheikh Market 1-10/1, Frontier General Store Rajpoot Market 1-10/1, Kashif General Store Multani Market G-9/2 , Khatak General Store Haidery Market G-9/2, Islamia General Store Co-operative Market G-6/2, Rasheed General Store Noor Pur Shahan, Gulfraz General Store Kalyah, Bismillah General Store Pind Baigwal , Super General Store Margalla Town , Zurrab General Store , Barma Chowk, Khuram General Store Main Bazaar New Shakrial, Koshar Traders New Shakrial, Al -Madia General Store Bazaar Sarai Kharbuza, Karyana Store Sungjani, Tawakal Store Farash Town , Mashallah General Store Sohan , Khattak General Store Taramari Chowk , Akbar General Store Barri Imam , University Colony and Saeed Kohsar General Store Ahthal Chowk Bhara Kahu

Sasta Bazaars’ in Ramazan

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has been finalizing arrangements for setting up Sasta Bazaars in the month of Ramzan.

An official of ICT Administration told APP that the ICT administration would organize a meeting with all the stakeholders in order to ensure availability of food items at low prices during the Ramazan.

He said the administration would ensure provision of food items at the rates less than the wholesale and ex-mill rates. He called upon the traders to voluntarily reduce the prices during the Ramazan for providing maximum relief to the consumers.

He said the administration would also ensure enough supply of food items with the active support of all stakeholders so that price hike or shortage of items couldn’t take place during Ramazan.

Golra Sharif

The township of Golra is situated at the foot of the Margalla Hills at a distance of about 11 miles form Rawalpindi city and in the centre of sector E-11 Islamabad , Federal Capital of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Shah decided to settle here, Golra was the headquarters of the Sikh sub divisional officer. Earlier, this area had been ruled by the Afghans, but on the death of Ahmad Shah Abdali towards the end of the 18th century, Ranjit Singh, the Afghan-appointed governor of the Punjab Province, declared his independence, and annexed the Golra area also into his domain.

Mela Bari Imam

March-April. The Urs (birthday) celebrations of Shah Abdul Latif also known as Bari Imam - He was one of the most prominent saints of the Pakistan-Indian Sub-Continent during. This is one of the largest Urs in Pakistan featuring visits of pilgrims in millions from all over the country. Colorful food & handicrafts stalls, folk music, folk dances, handicrafts and a variety of faces

Barri Imam shrine project

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada on Wednesday directed Capital Development Authority (CDA) project director and other officials to expedite the construction work of Hazrat Barri Imam the shrine at Noor Pur Shahan.

He gave these directions while presiding over a meeting held to review the progress of work on the Barri Imam shrine project.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Director Finance and Development Sajid Baloch and CDA officials concerned attended the meeting.

Pirzada said completion of the project was ICT administration top priority and he would like that project is completed as soon as possible with the best ever facilities for the devotees. He asked the officials that if they felt any hurdle to complete the project at any time, they should immediately contact him.

Funds For 22 ICT Projects

The completion of 22 ongoing projects in the rural areas of Islamabad is now uncertain because the federal government cut funds of Rs287.5 million in 2009-10. Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) was allocated Rs650 million for the rural areas under the head of Public Sector Development Projects (PSDP) in 2009-10 by the government.

But only Rs362.5 million were released for the new schemes. ICT has sent a request to the government to release the remaining funds so that the ongoing development projects can be completed.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Aamir Ahmed Ali told The Express Tribune that ICT would first focus on completing the ongoing projects. He said that ICT will try to complete these projects on a “now or never bases” in 2010-11. He added that despite the passage of several months, the Planning Commission of Pakistan (PCP), which is ICT’s other major source of revenue, had also not released the funds ICT was promised.

PCP, according to Assistant Director Rural Government ICT Hasan Abbas, had allocated Rs351 million for development projects around Islamabad in 2009-10, but only released Rs278 million.

One of the ongoing projects, according to DC Aamir, includes an updated map of Islamabad. The new map would include the areas Bani Gala, British Homes Colony, CBR Town, Burma Town, Anchorage Naval Housing Scheme, B-17, Alipur Frash, AWT, Judicial Town, Korang Town, Ghauri Town, New Shakrial, PAF Tarnol, Sihala, Tarlai, Wapda Town and Top City 1.

The ICT has also launched a project that once completed, would help dispose off the garbage from Bhara Kahu, DC Aamir added.

The ICT’s focus, DC Aamir said, was to help the farmers in the rural areas around Islamabad.

“Agriculture Services Department of ICT has planned to establish an Agri Farm for the welfare of small farmers. [There are plans to] introduce new agri instruments and other necessary equipments for better cultivation,” he explained.

Director Agriculture ICT Rana Akbar Hayat said that the ICT was negotiating with the Ministry of Power and Water to chalk out a strategy to reserve water for Agri Farms.

“We approached the concerned quarter of Water and Power Ministry for immediate help in overcoming an acute shortage of water for cultivation of more crops in dozens of villages,” he said.

Deputy Director Rural Areas ICT Hassan Abbas was of the view that the federal government needs to make arrangements for supply of enough water for sufficient irrigation of crops.

“The ICT may have been able to arrange some water from nearby dams if the government had released funds in time. Many farms failed due to acute shortage of water,” he explained.

Islamabad has new chief commissioner

Shahid Mehmood, a district management group (DMG) officer of the 12th common course, has assumed the charge as chief commissioner, Islamabad, on Wednesday in place of Fazeel Asghar.

Fazeel Asghar was removed from the post following the controversy of Haris Steel Mills.

According to the deputy commissioner’s office spokesman, the new chief commissioner was accorded a warm welcome by officials of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration. He met officials of the capital administration.

Deputy Commissioner (Islamabad) Amer Ali Ahmed, Director (Administration) Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Director (Development and Finance) Anita Turab, Director (Industries and Labour) Malik Zafar Iqbal Awan and Director (Agriculture Extension Services) Abdul Qadus Malik gave a briefing to the chief commissioner on the working and responsibilities of their offices.

Shahid Mehmood had served as tourism secretary, deputy commissioner at Sialkot and other important posts in Punjab and other provinces. He remained assistant commissioner (city), Islamabad, for a short period in 1989.

DC visits low-lying areas

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed along with magistrates and Civil Defence Assistant Director Syed Abrar Shah on Friday visited low-lying areas including Sihala, Bhara Kahu, Shahzad Town, Koral, Kirpa, G-7 slum, Sectors I-9, F-6- F-7, Korang stream, Rawal and Simly dams catchment areas and reviewed the arrangements for the protection to the life and property of the peoples in the wake of monsoon rains. He directed the officials to ensure foolproof arrangements in low-lying areas to prevent any damage. According to spokesman for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, Ahmed said people living in low-lying areas had been directed to shift to safer places in the wake of weather forecast. He said the rescue teams comprising volunteers, police, Rescue 15 and CDA officials had been alerted to take all pre-cautionary measures. He said the flood protection contingency plan was in place and all the departments concerned were alert to cope with any likely flood situation. He said people had been advised not to pass through nearby streams and nullahs. He informed that vaccination against the seasonal diseases was also underway at the rural health facilities. staff report