BAHAWALPUR, Oct 22: Local transporters have expressed concern over absence of security measures at the General Bus Stand. Complaining about the issue here on Thursday, the transporters and the bus stand manager said there were no security arrangements, especially during night time, in and around the GBS.

They demanded that the Bahawalpur Range DIG police and DPO Arif Nawaz took stock of the situation and deploy policemen in and around the bus stand to provide security to the passengers.

Meanwhile, the DPO reviewed security arrangements at mosques and worship places. At a meeting here, he said the district administration was equipping the police with metal detectors to properly frisk visitors to important events.

Out of the 935 mosques and imambargahs in the district, he said, 559 had been guarded by the police officials. He said there was a ban on the use of loudspeakers except for aazan.

EXEMPTED: The Punjab government has decided to grant remission to cultivators in abiana (water cess) for Rabi crop due to the reduction of 44 per cent canal water supply as a result of low water flow in the rivers.

The decision has been taken to provide some incentive to the growers, who will be exempted from abiana this year. However, the cess will be levied at the rate of Rs85 per acre for Kharif crop while the orchard owners will have to pay Rs250 per acre as usual. In the scarp areas, abiana will be charged equal to half of the usual amount to provide some relief to the cultivators of the areas. - Correspondent