HYDERABAD, Jan 29: The District Council, Hyderabad, on Wednesday demanded regular production of juvenile offenders before the courts and expeditious disposal of their cases.

The council expressed concern over the imprisonment of juvenile prisoners without any significant progress in their cases.

A resolution in this context was tabled by Yousuf Qureshi, which was unanimously adopted.

He told the session that juvenile prisoners were being kept with adult prisoners in jail, alleging that 131 juvenile offenders of Sindh province were being subjected to criminal assault.

He claimed that many of them had become deranged and were kept in solitary confinement.

He told the session that 12 juvenile prisoners were suffering from different diseases and were being forced to do various chores in jail though they were not convicts.

He said that this sort of treatment would lead them to crime in their routine life because there were no proper arrangements for education.

He said that the juvenile prisoners were only allowed to meet their relatives after the latter had greased the palms of jail officials.

Mr Qureshi pointed out that the cases of these juvenile prisoners were not being proceeded because of their non-production before the courts.

He demanded of the Sindh government to stop the compulsory labour of juvenile prisoners and arrangements for their education should also be made.

Advocate M. Prakash suggested that juvenile courts and a ward in the Civil Hospital should be established.

Ehsan Mamoon claimed that instead of reformatories, the jails had become training centres for criminals.

The session adopted the resolution of Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, calling upon the Taluka Council Qasimabad (TCQ) to redress the grievances of the general public regarding charging of entrance ticket at the municipal zoo (Rani Bagh).

In the original text of his resolution, he had, in fact, called for handing over of the zoo to the district government and cancellation of the present exhibition contract.

His resolution, however, led to a split among the session’s members. Some of them claimed that the zoo was the only source of income for the TCQ, while some others claimed that the TCQ alone could maintain it.

Mr Khan later on amended the text of his resolution, which was adopted unanimously.

Abdul Khaliq Chandio said that the contracts given by the TCQ would show its result in the future and would become a major source of earning for the council. He added that it would be unfair to hand over the zoo to the District Council or the Taluka Council Latifabad.

He said that the District Council had not given a single paisa to the TCQ so far.

Pointing out that the TCQ would not be able to manage the affairs of the zoo on its own, Abdul Qadeer Qazi said that more funds should be given to it so that it could be properly maintained.

He said that the original name of the zoo was Das Garden.

Dr Saifur Rehman said that vulgarity and obscenity had become the order of the day in the circus being held in the zoo.

Advocate Prakash said that the open air theatre in the zoo should also be renovated.

Rana Mehmood Ali Khan said that it was the only spot for recreation in Hyderabad but unfortunately was being neglected by the provincial government.

He said that it was in a shambles now while the authorities were not ready to pay any attention towards renovating it.

He said that the contract of an industrial exhibition was given for Rs600,000 where 100 stalls were set up and the contractor received Rs25,000 from each stall owner, making a total profit of Rs2.5 million.

The chair said that a debate would be held in the presence of the district Nazim, Makhdoom Rafik Zaman.