- Anti-encroachment officials keep their eyes close to the malpractice
LAHORE: The major roads and markets of the provincial capital are in grip of encroachment mafia, creating hurdles for customers and commuters, but the authorities remain failed to take an action against the encroachers, Pakistan Today has observed.
Despite repeated announcements by the Lahore authorities, including the mayor, of getting rid of encroachment, the issue persists.
If you happened to go to any of the major markets in the city, then you are most likely to face trouble walking due to congestion as a result of the encroachments. It has become hard for people to even walk freely in these markets.
In past, the City District Government Lahore (CDGL)— now Metropolitan Corporation Lahore— had initiated anti-encroachment derives which had been dropped in the middle for the reasons best known to the authorities.
The footpaths and markets at Mall Road, Anarkali Bazar, Hall Road, Temple Road, Circular Road, Badami Bagh Road, McLeod Road, Montgomery Road, Beadon Road, Brandreth Road, Multan Road, Bilalganj, Shahdra, Ichra, Chungi Amar Sidhu, Walton and many others, are infested with encroachment from the car parks or stalls of the shops.
Most of the encroachments are carried out by the shopkeepers who have extended their businesses by taking over the space in front of their shops, while many others have allowed the vendors to run their businesses outside their shops for a small amount of money.
The famed Anarkali Bazaar, located few yards away from the Town Hall, is tainted with bloated shops and stalls, as in a small market area over 30,000 shops have been established.
Over half of the shopkeepers of the bazaar have encroached upon pavements in front of their shops, while vendors have set up stalls on the roadsides, sometimes on road, forcing the pedestrians to walk in the middle of the road.
An official in the Anti-Encroachment Cell informed Pakistan Today that more than half million rupees were collected [by the some officials] from Anarkali Bazaar in bribe, to let the encroachers carry on with their illegal activities.
Mall Road has also been ignored by the anti-encroachment cell as they are getting hefty amount to keep their eyes closed to the illegal business being run there.
Hall Road only gives you a narrow path to tread on, as pavements are encroached upon by the shopkeepers while half of the road is being used as the parking space.
These encroachments are source of nuisance for both customers and businessmen, as they discourage customers to visit these areas (if they can). On the other hand, these illegal businesses also cause financial damage to the city government.
Owner of a famous garments shop at Mall Road told Pakistan Today that since the start of winter season, a number of vendors have set up stalls in front of the shops, damaging their source of income.
“Despite lodging a number of complaints with the anti-encroachment cell, these vendors are still running their business. If anti-encroachment officials visit the area, these vendors, being informed by the corporation staff in advance, manage to hide their stalls till the inspection is over,” he alleged.
An official of the cell in Data Ganj Bukhsh Zone admitted to the fact that there might be a few officials involved in the failure of the anti-encroachment drives. Defending that the corporation takes action against such officials, he said in past many staffers were removed over the same charges.
“Some of the traders involved in encroachments are politically backed which is a major hurdle in removing the encroachments from the city or a proper action in this regard,” he added.
What about Karachi?
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