Food Street: Vendors say they were not warned

Food street vendors staged a protest against the city government for its drive against encroachments.

LAHORE:

Food street vendors on Wednesday staged a protest against the city government for its drive against encroachments. They said they were given a very short notice, not enough to move court against the action.

Muhammad Yaqub said the structures might be illegal but were allowed at the time the Food Street was established. He said the town administration had demolished structures without giving them enough time to move a court.

Muhammed Sarfraz, kitchen manager at Yasir Hotel, said if the action lost them jobs, they would take to streets.

Anarkali Food Street vice president Umar Javaid Gujjar said the government had earlier allowed the shopkeepers to use the space in front of their restaurants.

He said the operation was carried out without giving shopkeepers enough time to remove counters and ovens. He said the CDGL officials gave them only two hours to remove the structures.

A CDGL official said that the drive was necessary.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2011.