BAHAWALPUR: The district administration has granted permission to 175 seminaries in the district to collect hides of sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha.

According to official sources, 190 seminaries had applied for permission to collect skins of the sacrificial animals. Of them, applications of 15 were rejected.

No seminary or any other charity is allowed to collect hides without permission from the district administration.

BEGGARS: The local chapter of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau with the help of administration and police rounded up 11 children begging in different localities of the city.

According to bureau chief Naushaba Malik, an operationagainst beggary had beenlaunched in line with the government policy to eliminate child beggary.

During such a campaign about a fortnight ago, 19 beggar children were rounded up and taken to the bureau`s safe home from where the children were handed over to their parents afterundertaking.

PPP: The PPP celebrated acquittal of former president Asif Ali Zardari in his last corruption case from the court yesterday.

A gathering of PPP workers was held at the residence of party`s district president Shah Rukh Malik. On the occasion, PPP district senior vice president Malik Shah Muhammad Channar, secretary general Irshad Siroya hailed the court`s verdict in favour of Mr Zardari. They distributed sweets as well.

ANIMALS: Many of the government employees, after receiving their salaries yesterday, turned tothe cattle market to purchase sacrificial animals. However, high prices of animals of their choice disappointed them. Most of the visitors Dawn talked to said sacrificial animals, particularly goat and sheep, were beyond their buying capacity.

After failing to purchase the goat and sheep, most of people turned to share option in cows, bulls and camels. There has been an influx of camels from the desert of Cholistan in the local cattle market.

Meanwhile, most of the shopkeepers in almost all the local bazaars, marl(ets and plazas have encroached on theroads and streets as Eidul Azha draws near. They extended their shops on the roads in most of the bazaars, creating inconvenience for the customers, particularly women and children. The officials of the municipal corporation have also turned blind eye to the Eid festivities.