Urgent appointments: Court allows hiring for anti-encroachment campaign

Justice Lodhi tells police to depute contingent to back the operation

RAWALPINDI: Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench on Friday ending the ban on appointments allowed Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to hire people on daily wages for assisting in the anti-encroachment operation.

LHC Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi permitted RMC district council anti-encroachment wing to hire workers on daily wages to clear the city, cantonments and the suburbs from encroachment.

The court also directed reinstating the frozen municipality funds so that it may purchase excavators, bulldozers, cranes, shovels, cutters and other such heavy machinery needed to tear down encroachment.

Justice Lodhi took the decision on reply of Mayor Sardar Naseem, who told the court that RMC has only 16 men in the enforcement team. RMC needs more people if the campaign has to run throughout the sprawling city, he told the court.

Mayor Naseem said that if needs are met than without caring for votes, encroachment will be removed.

Court has also ordered to the Rawalpindi police to depute a contingent for helping RMC in anti-encroachment drive. He directed Rawalpindi SSP operations to ensure the provision of police force to municipality.

The squad will work with RMC as long as the operation against encroachment continues. Justice Ldhi said the court wants the administration to clean whole city, remove encroachment from markets, clear the footpaths, remove illegal barriers and present report.

On absence, Deputy Commissioner Dr Umer Jahangir was also reprimanded.

Justice Lodhi declared that the municipality and the administration will be facilited in every manner to end encroachments and after that no excuses will be entertained. “The whole city must be cleaned, public land must be freed, footpaths must be completely cleaned,” the judge said.

Clean, green campaign

The city-wide operation against encroachments under the Clean and Green campaign continued yesterday. Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) took action against illegal housing schemes on Charki Road and removed six illegal advertisement boards in Abdullah City, eight illegal advertising boards from Khanyal Green Oaks Farm Housing, Al Mairaj Garden, Islamabad Farm Housing Phase-3, Global Avenue, six illegal advertising boards from Qartaba City Extension, Magma City, Bin Alam, Naqva Town. RDA has also sealed their offices and halted work on CPEC Housing. The Municipal Corporation seized a loaded truck on Holy Family Road and issued a warning and cleared the road, 43 shops termed as permanent encroachments were sealed on Hamilton Road and they were issued a warning and the road was cleared.

The District Council cleared 30 temporary and 28 permanent encroachments from Bostan Khan Road and 10 warnings were issued. Municipal Kahuta, removed six temporary and seven permanent encroachments from difference areas of the city. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2018.