Punjab Assembly passes two bills

The Punjab Assembly passed two bills - The Punjab Heritage Foundation Bill-2004 and The Punjab Consumer Protection Bill-2004 - on Thursday. The treasury benches tabled both the bills. Earlier, a heated debate was witnessed in the assembly when opposition benches objected that a person convicted by the Supreme Court could not enjoy status at the government level, as was done by former provincial minister Akhtar Rasul.
Both the sides exchanged harsh words on the issue.
The Punjab Law Minister after speaking sentimentally in defence of his old colleague promised to look into the matter. The house extended the period of bills lying with various standing committees for perusal.
On the working of communication & works department, concerned minister Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, answering a query of MPA Syed Ehsanullah Waqas on the state of old Ravi Bridge, dilated that the bridge has been declared dangerous for all sorts of traffic. Only bulls, tongas, motorcycle and rickshaws have been allowed to ply on it, he said.
The minister, replying further to a question tabled by same legislators regarding 'Wahdat Colony' - a housing colony of civil servants - said there were 232 civil employees looking after 2,000 quarters there.
The minister accepted that certain nefarious elements had occupied some government land in the locality.
The minister, answering a question raised by MPA Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, averred that Rs305,310,278 had been collected under the head of tool tax on various roads and bridges in the province.
Chaudhry Zaheeruddin also answered questions regarding maintenance and construction of new pipelines in housing scheme on the occasion.
The provincial minister, speaking about depilated situation of Chiniot Chak Jummra road, undertook to look into the state of affair.
The minister for communication submitted a list of persons employed in Bahawalpur from 2002 before the house.
In a privilege motion presented by Dr Syed Wasim Akhtar on motorcycle wheeling, the Punjab Law Minister said 9269 persons have been booked for these violations during 2004. He said legislation would be made on this issue very soon.
The chair disposed a number of adjournment motions during the session. The house was adjourned for Friday morning later on.