Operation against encroachments is an eyewash

LAHORE:An eyewash operation against temporary encroachments was carried out in the City on Tuesday while majority of the city localities remained full of encroachments on the roads resulting in traffic mess and inconvenience to the citizens.

Officials said Lahore Commissioner Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman directed the Lahore Metropolitan Regulation Wing to launch a grand operation, after which, some encroachments were removed from Hall Road and Laxmi Chowk. Temporary encroachments in the provincial metropolis are a permanent hindrance in traffic flow and majority of the encroachers allegedly grease the palms of the staff concerned.

However, according to the Lahore Metropolitan Regulation Wing, MCL staff seized 35 stalls and 15 wheelbarrows. An FIR was registered against the owner and contractor of an illegal parking stand operating on Hall Road. The teams from Lahore Police and Data Ganj Bakhsh Zone and Special Squad Encroachment took part in the encroachment operation. Metropolitan Regulation Officer Usman Liaqat said a case was registered against 10 owners in the police stations concerned.

Three truckloads of temporary encroachments were also seized and dumped in a government warehouse. Metropolitan Regulation Officer Usman Liaqat said that an operation against encroachments was underway on the orders of the commissioner Lahore. After removal of temporary encroachments, regular monitoring will be carried out, he said. Several city localities, including Johar Town, G1 Market, Township main Bazaar, Green Town main market, Bagriayan Chowk, Shalimar Link Road, Allama Iqbal Road, PIA Road, Wapda Town Roundabout, College Road, Rajgarh Bazaar, Lahore Hotel Chowk, Landa Bazaar, several areas of Walled City, Circular Road, Outside Data Darbar, Multan Road, Morr Samanabad, Yateem Khana, Main Boulevard Sabzazar, Naba Road, Kutchery Road, College Road, PECO Road, Jain Mandir, Temple Road, Abid Market, Ichhra Bazaar, Model Town Link Road, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Moon Market Iqbal Town, are full of temporary encroachments.

The MCL’s Regulation Wing and anti-encroachment staff didn’t devise a permanent strategy to remove temporary encroachments from the City and only drives were allegedly carried out to increase the rate of bribe. A large number of fruit vendors have permanently occupied the green belts or footpaths but all the officials passed through them “with a blind eye.” Similarly, a number of chain restaurants have installed their counters on the roads and footpaths but no action was taken against them as allegedly they are good clients and obliged both in cash and kind.

“Everywhere there are encroachments, there are traffic jams,” said Samina Sajid, a resident of Faisal Town. She said it was hard to walk on Model Town Link Road due to temporary encroachments.” How is it possible the government removes an encroachment and it reappeared at the same place the very next day,” she questioned. Citizens have appealed to the chief minister to make a real surprise visit to Lahore localities before awarding the title of best commissioner and best deputy commissioner to the officers of Lahore. They also appealed to the government to take stern action against those officials who oversee the temporary encroachments. They said the government should devise a proper strategy to eliminate this long standing issue.

When contacted, MCL Regulation Officer Usman Liaqat said that he took charge of the post one week back. He admitted that temporary encroachments in Lahore was a big problem. He said he started his drive from Hall Road and Laxmi Chowk and it would expand to other localities too. He said as a policy, the counters or any other temporary encroachments confiscated from the roads would not be returned and the MCL would auction those things. He said a permanent surveillance system would also be introduced in the City to eliminate temporary encroachments.