LAHORE – During the second day of the anti-encroachment drive, the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) cleared 23-kilometre area and reclaimed government-owned land worth Rs 230 million from encroachers in all nine towns of the city.
During the grand operation, 845 roadside stalls were razed, illegal extensions of 62 shops were knocked down, 312 unauthorised sheds around shops were demolished, 479 illegally-built stairs were pulled down and 297 sign boards were removed. All the material was loaded into 19 trucks and shifted to godowns.
According to details, 50 kanals of government-owned land in Harbanspura worth Rs 80 million, 6 kanals at Bhaatti Gate worth Rs 120million, 2 kanals at Lalpul, Fateh Garh worth Rs 230 million were retrieved. The CDGL cleared six-kilometer area, seized two trucks, demolished three stairs, four sheds, 94 roadside stalls in Wagha Town.
It cleared three-kilometer area, confiscated two trucks, demolished 20 roadside stalls, 15 sheds, 20 stairs and 25 signboards in Shalimar Town. The drive also cleared 32,800 square feet from encroachers demolishing 26 roadside stalls, 17 shops, 15 sheds and eight stairs in Allama Iqbal Town. During the grand operation, the CDGL cleared 8200 square feet by removing 560 roadside stalls, 185 sheds, 400 stairs and 210 signboards in Data Gunj Baksh Town.
In Nishtar Town, 57 roadside stalls and 18 sheds were demolished. The CDGL squad also cleared one kilometer by demolishing 50 roadside stalls, 25 sheds, 45 stairs and 10 sign boards in Aziz Bhatti Town. CDGL also cleared two kilometer area and knocked down 25 shops, 40 sheds and four sign boards in Ravi Town. It also cleared one kilometer area by demolishing 10 roadside stalls and 15 signboards in Samanabad Town.
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) cleared 12 kilometers area by demolishing 11 roadside stalls, 4 shops, 7 sheds and 14 signboards in LDA-controlled areas. Lahore DCO Ahad Cheema kept monitoring the operation throughout the day and said that the drive will continue with full force. He said that the operation will prove to be result-oriented.
“This time we are removing all sorts of illegal structures besides others that have spilled out of building designs”, he said. The operation was launched at a time when encroachments have become a major stigma on the beauty of the city and a key obstacle in the resolution of many public problems, including traffic, he added. Haphazard encroachments along roadsides, footpaths, bus stops, vital installations and parking space in commercial buildings will also be removed, the DCO said.
Qasim Ali, a trader in Data Gunj Baksh Town, said that the district government was fully aware that no one could encroach upon government land without the ‘help’ of officials. “Cart owners and shopkeepers certainly pay some price to use land for commercial purposes. Officials help encroachers as they raid infrequently and also take a lenient approach when encroachments reappear after raids,” he added.
“The traffic police are duty bound not to allow any fruit or vegetable vendor to use roads for their businesses. The fact that hand-driven and animal-driven carts loaded with fruit, vegetable or other items are routinely parked on roads gives credence to reports that each spot has some price. There would be no encroachments on roads if the Punjab government holds regulators accountable and takes them to task in case encroachers reappear,” he maintained.
