LAHORE, Nov 26: The Punjab government intends to release on bail 4,527 prisoners from 34 jails across the province involved in petty offences, including juveniles, under-trial prisoners and women prisoners with suckling babies, as well as those undergoing the sentence in default of payment of fine during Ramazan.

This transpired at a meeting of the provincial cabinet held on Monday with Governor Khalid Maqbool in chair.

Home secretary Ejaz Shah told the cabinet that the decision was taken on the instruction of the governor, saying some businessmen had promised to “donate generously” to pay for fines and diyat of Rs33.50 million to facilitate the release of 358 prisoners.

Governor Maqbool instructed the secretary to carry out another survey of the jails and arrange for the release of elderly, sick, and disabled prisoners on bail before Eidul Fitr.

The cabinet also reviewed the measures taken for the provision of essential items to the public at low prices during Ramazan. It was satisfied to note that the “government had been successful in keeping down the prices of the vegetables, fruit, and other items of daily use during the first week of Ramazan”.

The meeting was informed that the Nazims and DCOs were “making successful efforts to provide relief to the people through sasta, Ramazan, and Sunday bazaars”.

It was told that provincial ministers and secretaries had been visiting all major cities to “check and monitor the prices of the essential items”.

Governor Maqbool stressed the need for establishing Sunday and Ramazan bazaars at open spaces instead of congested places. He also issued directions for taking effective measures for security and for regulating traffic at such bazaars. He also ordered to set up Chand Raat bazaars for families to offer them entertainment.

The cabinet gave approval of a draft of the Punjab Prohibition of Dangerous Kite Flying Ordinance 2001 that prohibited the use of nylon chord or metal wires for flying kites.

The draft ordinance recommended that offenders be punished with a three-month jail term or Rs15,000 fine or both for violating the ban.

It proposed that a police sub-inspector accompanied by a Union Council Nazim and Grade-17 official authorized by the government could enter any place tipped to be used for dangerous kite-flying activities to arrest the offender.

If such a place is in the actual occupancy of a parda observing woman, the police sub-inspector together with a lady councillor and Grade-17 female government official might enter the place after giving the occupant a notice to withdraw from her place.

The cabinet also approved the grant of propriety rights to the allottees or their legal heirs of the Criminal Tribes Scheme who were granted a unit of 10 acres of state land per family in 1919. Some 2,303 allottees had been granted 12,163 acres of land in seven districts of the province under the scheme. The cabinet decided that they should be charged Rs100 per acre for conferment of the propriety rights for the land allotted to them. The last date for submitting applications by the allottees or their legal heirs had also been extended to June 30, 2002.