Officials directed to launch anti-encroachment operation

Hafiz Aziz-ur-Rehman

HAFIZABAD: Federal Minister for Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar has advised the officials of Municipal Committee Hafizabad to launch across the board anti-encroachment drive in the city for ensuring smooth flow of traffic on all the city roads particularly busy intersections.

While addressing a meeting specially convened for devising measures to eliminate the menace of encroachments particularly from Alipur road, Vanike road, Vanike Chowk, Fawara Chowk, Post Office road, Gujranwala road near railway gate and Qatal Garrha Chowk, she called upon the administration to prepare a comprehensive and concrete plan to remove push carts in front of the shops which cause traffic mess and shift them to the deserted old east and west grain markets, model bazaar and other places to solve this problem once for all. She said that no influence or pressure should be accepted from any quarter.

She, however, said that the livelihood of any poor vendors should not be affected but they should be shifted to other open places so that they can make their bread and butter. Efforts should be made to declare busiest intersections and roads as “red zones” to facilitate the pedestrians particularly male and female students of schools and colleges, she added.

The Deputy Commissioner Saleha Saeed, who was also present in the meeting, briefed the Minister regarding the steps taken so far to eliminate encroachments on the city roads. It is pertinent to mention that several half-hearted anti-encroachment campaigns had been launched in the recent past but these campaigns remained ineffective due to the presence of some corrupt municipal officers, some councilors and a mafia which extort money from the push cart owners on daily or monthly basis. Soon after assuming charge by the newly-posted DC Saleha Saeed, she strictly advised the municipal staff to improve sanitary conditions and eliminate encroachments but the municipal staff, as usual, failed to set the things right according to her whishes.