BAHAWALPUR: As the Eidul Fitr draws near, transport owners have started overcharging passengers.

There is a large crowd of passengers desirous of going to their native cities and towns. A number of passengers have complained of overcharging by transport owners on the pretext of recent increase in fuel prices. The passengers alleged that the private companies had increased fares by 20 to 40 per cent.

An official handout issued here on Monday said that Deputy Commissioner BahawalpurZaheer Anwar Jappa while taking a serious notice of the public complaints at a meeting, directed district regional transport authority secretary Ms.Arooj Fatima and traffic police officials to ensure that the passengers were not fleeced by the private transporters.

The DC directed the officialsfor strict monitoring of the fares and in case of overcharging ordered legal action against the transport owners.

The meeting was informed that special teams comprising officials of traffic police had been formed to check the overcharging of passengers.

SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES: A woman, who was injured by her brothers over a property dispute two days back, succumbed to her injuries at Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) on Monday.

Deceased Zahida was among three sisters, who had suffered serious wounds in an alleged armed attack by her three brothers over a landed property dispute at village Khuda Baksh within the limits of Channigoth police station two days ago.

Earlier in the alleged attack, her elder sister Shahida had already been killed. With the death of Zahida, the number of killed sisters rose to two while their third sisterNaheed is critical at BVH.

The Channigoth police are yet to arrest attackers Tanveer, Ghulam Dastgeer and Hafeez, who managed their escape.

Meanwhile, one Shehzad alias Mitha was allegedly murdered with knife by his neighbour Irfan over a trifle outside a mosque in mohallah Khawjgan, Jalalpur Peerwal, on Monday. Police claimed to have arrested Irfan from his house and registered a case.

WHEAT: As many as 51 first information reports were registered against those involved in the illegal movement of over 50,000 bags of wheat seized by respective administrations of three districts of Bahawalpur division during a week.

This was stated by Divisional Commissioner Dr. Ehtesham Anwar Mahar in a statement here on Monday.

Dawn learnt that now the cases of seized trucks would be dealt with by the courts in their respective districts.