The senseless show on the roads had been claiming the lives of many young motorcyclists for years.
Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja informed this during a session of Punjab Assembly on Monday, while responding to a call attention notice, raised by Arshad Baggu and Syed Ehsanullah Waqas.
The Minister averred that at present one-wheeling was a bailable offence, hence the offenders return to roads to create menace. "This deadly sport was very popular during the weekends; last Sunday alone, 130 persons were arrested for one-wheeling in the city alone. Last year, a total of 11,482 such cases were registered in the province, while 11,800 people were arrested, and more than a million rupees recovered as fine from offenders," he added.
Baggu and Waqas were of the firm conviction to tackle the issue with law, as the motorcyclists involved in one-wheeling were causing traffic accidents, while an awareness campaign should be launched in that regard to educate motorcyclists and guide their parents on the issue.
In response to another call attention notice over the death of an old man in the custody of police in Gujranwala, the Minister said Punjab Chief Minister had decided to suspend the DSP concerned. An inquiry would take place while the accused including a sub-inspector, constables and other people, would be apprehended for alleged police torture, he assured the House.
During a question-hour session on irrigation department, in response to MPA Chaudhry Ahsan ul Haq Naolatia's question on water allowance, Punjab Irrigation Minister Amer Sultan Cheema informed the House that to study the actual position of water allowances in various parts of Punjab, a committee had been constituted. He said in the background of committee's report water allowance of the Thal Canal areas would be revised. "The Thal Canal was initially built to irrigate 1,472,000 acres of land with its capacity of 6000 cusecs, which was increased to 7500 cusecs in 1960, as irrigation land was enhanced up to 1,673,000 acres," he added.
According to him, right now the area under canals had increased to 2,300,000 acres of land; hence Thal Canal remodelling project was launched in 1997-98 to expand its capacity to 90,000 cusecs, which would be completed by the end of current fiscal.
In response to a question of Samina Naveed, the Minister informed the house the Punjab Barrages Modernisation Project included the Sulemanki Headwork that would be modernised at the expense of Rs 15 million, which would be completed within the current fiscal year.
Later, the Speaker adjourned the House till Thursday.