In an effort to rid the capital city of encroachments, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday issued a seven-day notice to traders and market associations to remove encroachments from their business hubs and warned of strict action against encroachers.
The decision has been taken in view of the increasing encroachments in the city. However, the CDA sources said the negligent attitude of the officials concerned in stopping the encroachments at time of their establishing has put the traders and CDA in a dilemma as most of the markets in the city are now full of encroachments.
Hundreds of people were now earning their livelihoods through these illegally set up stalls.
“I came from Gilgit Baltistan and set up a stall to sell bags. I put up the stall with the permission of the market office bearers who had gotten approval from the CDA to use the government land,” said Akram Khan, a vendor in G/9 Markaz, adding that the shifting of the stall would mean the closure of his business.
He added that the civic body has given huge pieces of land in several areas of the city to hotel owners on nominal rents but was reluctant to give help vendors in running their businesses.
On the other hand, Prime Minister’s Task Force Chairman Faisal Sakhi Butt, who has directed the CDA’s enforcement wing to remove the encroachments, claimed that the mushrooming encroachments were making the city look ugly, which does not correspond to the standards of a modern capital like Islamabad.
Faisal Butt asked the CDA to seek a permanent solution to the menace of encroachments in consultation with traders and other stakeholders.
He said the cooperation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and other relevant organisations should be sought to reinforce the efforts of the authority in this regard.
He added that cleanliness in the markets was not up to the mark and that a lot of improvement was required. He directed the formations concerned of the authority to remove the encroachments and enhance cleanliness standards.
The Task Force chairman said the government would make all possible efforts to keep the city tidy, but the cooperation of all the segments of the society was vital to make these initiatives successful.
