11 bottled water plants sealed

LAHORE: Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) started a crackdown on illegal drinking water companies and sealed 11 such plants, and discarded a huge quantity of stock.

The PSQCA took action on the directions of PSQCA DG Khalid Siddiq for providing clean drinking water to the people. A team raided different spots at Johar Town, Punjab Housing Society, Wapda Town, Public Accounts Society, Naz Town, NFC Housing Society, Defence Road, Raiwind and other posh areas of the provincial capital. The companies were sealed for selling substandard drinking water and working illegally without having PSQCA licences.

businesses sealed: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday sealed a production unit of famous frozen foods and five shops for not complying with the PFA’s instructions despite several warning notices.

PFA teams raided a frozen foods factory located in the area of Raiwind Road and sealed it. Officials found the factory did not meet the food standards and there was no proper mechanism to dispose of used oil. The workers of the unit did not have medical certificates. Its Halal certificate was also expired.

The food safety teams also visited several other food points at Akbari Mandi and sealed five shops over using non-food grade colour on lentils. The officials discarded 650kg pulses and grams.

PFA DG Noor ul Amin Mengal has appealed to the citizens for not using coloured pulses as they were harmful for health.uplift schemes: The Punjab government Tuesday approved two development schemes of agriculture and road sectors with an estimated cost of Rs1.884 billion.

These schemes were approved in the 44th meeting of Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) of current fiscal year 2017-18 presided over by Chairman, P&D, Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan.

Secretary, P&D, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, all members of Planning & Development Board, provincial secretaries concerned, Assistant Chief, P&D, Coordination-II Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal and other senior representatives of the relevant provincial departments attended the meeting.

The approved development schemes included Development of Floriculture Markets in Punjab at the cost of Rs264.068 million and dualization of Sahiwal-Arifwala Road from 2.54-km to 44.66=42.12-km, District Sahiwal / Pakpattan (Revised) at the cost of Rs1620.035 million.

Tevta: Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) will start different short-courses in collaboration with Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZBMU) and Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries (WCCI).

In this regard Tevta signed two MoUs with two organisations here on Tuesday. Tevta Chairman Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, Vice Chancellor, SZBMU, Dr Javed Akram and other officials were present.

Talking about the courses, Irfan Qaiser said the courses would be started with SZBMU would include courses for Assistant Nursing, Assistant Pharmacist. These courses will be started in April this year, he added.

Irfan also observed that it was a wish of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to provide medical training to youth. Talking about other training programme with WCCI, he explained that this partnership will provide skills to women.

Transfers: The Punjab government on Tuesday issued a notification of transfers and postings of the following officers. Jampur Assistant Commissioner Qamar Zaman Qaisrani has been transferred and posted as Shaikhupura AC. Officer on Special Duty Liaqat Ali has been posted as Jampur AC. The services of Fatima Bashir have been placed at the disposal of Sindh government for further posting. Meanwhile, the contract period of Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab Commissioner Afzaal Bhatti has been extended for one year.