Vertical expansion: Fruit, vegetable traders want second floor for sabzi mandi
Decry CDA’s reluctance to grant permission to construct extra level, police harassment
PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
Fruit and vegetable traders have demanded that the capital’s administration extend lease of the wholesale market in I-11/4, and grant permission to construct a second floor for offices.
They have also complained against harassment by police officials who forcibly haul away fruit crates from traders.
This was stated by representatives of fruit and vegetable commission agents in a meeting with the president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Saturday, a release said.
“If we refuse to give freebies to cops, they lock up our truck drivers and labourers on false pretexts,” Babu Aleem, president of the Anjuman Wholesale Fruit Commission Agents, I-11/4 complained while highlighting key issues of the market.
Aleem said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was not extending lease of properties at the fruit and vegetable market.
Furthermore, he said that traders needed offices to conduct business and build quarters for their workers; hence an additional floor on the market was direly needed.
However, CDA was not allowing permission for the floor to be built.
Aleem pointed out that the CDA had already granted permission to construct for multi-floor buildings in sectors adjacent to the market. Hence, depriving the fruit market of a second floor was unjustified.
ICCI President Khalid Iqbal Malik acknowledged that fruit and vegetable market was meeting basic needs of people and promoting trade in this region, therefore, CDA should pay priority attention to resolving its problems.
He said ICCI will take up the issue of fruit and vegetable market with the IG police.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2016.
Fruit and vegetable traders have demanded that the capital’s administration extend lease of the wholesale market in I-11/4, and grant permission to construct a second floor for offices.
They have also complained against harassment by police officials who forcibly haul away fruit crates from traders.
This was stated by representatives of fruit and vegetable commission agents in a meeting with the president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Saturday, a release said.
“If we refuse to give freebies to cops, they lock up our truck drivers and labourers on false pretexts,” Babu Aleem, president of the Anjuman Wholesale Fruit Commission Agents, I-11/4 complained while highlighting key issues of the market.
Aleem said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was not extending lease of properties at the fruit and vegetable market.
Furthermore, he said that traders needed offices to conduct business and build quarters for their workers; hence an additional floor on the market was direly needed.
However, CDA was not allowing permission for the floor to be built.
Aleem pointed out that the CDA had already granted permission to construct for multi-floor buildings in sectors adjacent to the market. Hence, depriving the fruit market of a second floor was unjustified.
ICCI President Khalid Iqbal Malik acknowledged that fruit and vegetable market was meeting basic needs of people and promoting trade in this region, therefore, CDA should pay priority attention to resolving its problems.
He said ICCI will take up the issue of fruit and vegetable market with the IG police.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2016.