*Town’s officials are allowing hawkers and roadside vendors to continue with their businesses after paying Rs 200 to 300 on daily basis and Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 monthly,
*Wattoo also refutes charges that he or any other municipal official allowed encroachments after taking bribes.
Despite repeated orders of the district coordination officer (DCO) to rid major commercial areas of the city of encroachments, municipal authorities are showing complacency in carrying out the directives in the areas under their jurisdiction, Pakistan Today has observed.
After the tragic incident at Anarkali in which 14 people were burnt to death after a fire erupted in a plaza, DCO Lahore Captain (r) Muhammad Usman had ordered all town administrations to launch a crackdown against encroachments as they hinder relief activities in such situations.
While the situation is not different in other municipal authorities, the areas under the Data Ganj Baksh Town are suffering from massive encroachments as the town’s officials are reportedly allowing hawkers and roadside vendors to continue with their businesses after paying Rs 200 to 300 on daily basis and Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 monthly, sources told Pakistan Today. In this way, over Rs 80,000 is collected from such hawkers of which 60 per cent is allegedly pocketed by the TMO Zubair Wattoo, the sources in the municipal authority alleged.
The sources went on to further allege that the TMO had appointed his blue-eyed officials at commercial centres of Anarkali, Hall Road, Mall Road, Raja Market, Panorama, Gawalmandi, Lakhsmi Chowk, Garhi Shahu, Bilal Ganj, Raj Garh, Sandha, Mozang Adda, Lawrence Road, Neela Gumbad, which was the main cause of rampant encroachments in these areas.
Sajid, a street vendor, told Pakistan Today during a survey of the Mozang Adda area that the administration conducted crackdowns against small businesses but no action is taken against vendors like Heera Charga House and Bubli Sajji because of the hefty bribes allegedly paid by them for encroaching on the road.
“How can a petty hawker like me provide for the family if I have to pay off officials to set up a food stall on the road,” he questioned.
Sajid claimed that town officials Mahboob Bhatti and Mirza Shabbir extorted money from hawkers in name of anti-encroachment drives. “They also sell our food stuff and carts if we don’t submit to their demands,” he alleged.
Sajid’s claims were corroborated by Usman, another hawker, who said that hawkers and roadside vendors were made to pay money for continuing doing business on the roads.
“What choice do we have as this is the only source of our income. We have to pay off the municipality officials so that we can continue to make a living,” he said.
TMO DENIES CHARGE:
TMO Wattoo rejected charges that the municipal authority was patronizing encroachments.
“The government should put the encroachers behind bars instead of imposing fines on them as this is not an effective punishment. My team is making every possible effort to keep the roads and markets clear of encroachments but these hawkers keep returning to their places of business,” he said.
Wattoo also refuted charges that he or any other municipal official allowed encroachments after taking bribes.
“I am an honest official and I ensure that no one under my authority resorts to such activities,” he said, adding that such propaganda was being spread by his rival officials “who are jealous of my performance”.
