Anti-encroachment drive: CDA tears down illegal structure in Blue area

Official says hotel management had failed to heed notices issued by the authority

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Tuesday conducted an anti-encroachment operation in the Blue Area and removed encroachment made by a local hotel in the parking area and impounded some tables and chairs.

Prior to Tuesday’s operation, the CDA claimed that it had issued an advance notice to the owner of the hotel for removing encroachment from the parking area. However, the hotel’s administration allegedly ignored the notices.

The civic body, with the help of the Islamabad Police, conducted a joint operation and confiscated dining tables, chairs and other items.

The operation saw the staff of the CDA’s enforcement directorate work alongside heavy machinery from the Machine Pool Organisation (MPO) directorate and other formations of CDA. CDA Enforcement Director Faheem Badshah said the authority had issued notices to all those who were involved in encroachment in the city, adding it would not compromise their anti-encroachment operation for anyone. It came as the CDA continued its operation along Kuri Road where it has already cleared around 510 kanals of land of illegal occupation. The operation along Kuri Road began on Monday. The CDA said that some of the illegal structures had been voluntarily demolished ahead of the operation while other buildings had been vacated pending demolition.

The CDA’s enforcement directorate also conducted anti-encroachment operations in Mouza Kurri, Mouza Rehara, Mouza Blagh and Mouza Maloot and cleared encroachment on both sides of the Kuri Road stretching eight kilometres. As many as 144 rooms, 60 shops, nine containers, eight construction material stalls, 11 hotels, seven marble stalls, two block factories, two marble factories, two nurseries and four service stations were demolished.

RMC demolishes illegal structures

The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation’s (RMC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shafqat Raza on Tuesday said that they had demolished as many as 836 illegal structures during their ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the city — which is being carried out on the directives of the Lahore High Court (LHC).



"816 illegally-built shutters and 20 kiosks were razed by the anti-encroachment staff in the Pir Wadahi area with the help of heavy machinery," he said.

Raza added that their teams have also confiscated three trucks in the area which were hampering the flow of traffic.

PFA seals hotel

Meanwhile, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) checked food outlets and sealed a restaurant for not making the proper cleanliness arrangements.

The department’s spokesperson told the media that apart from sealing the restaurant, their inspection teams had also imposed a fine of Rs88,500 on different outlets for failing to establish the requisite hygienic environment.  

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2018.