Traders blame CDA for encroachment in city

Chief commissioner says operation launched on Supreme Court orders

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Business community blamed corrupt elements in civic agencies for promoting encroachment in the first place.

After years of oversight, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has suddenly woken up and running around demolishing years-old businesses, they said, asking the authority to give time to people to remove any illegal structure themselves.

Business community should help city administration remove encroachment from various markets of Islamabad, said Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed.

Talking to a delegation of traders, Ahmed said encroachment block customers from reaching shops, which pay taxes and bills.

Ahmed, who is also the chief commissioner of Islamabad said the anti-encroachment drive was not his personal decision, rather government was taking action against mushrooming encroachment in various markets across the federal capital in light of orders by the Supreme Court (SC).

“The business community should join hands with authorities in removing encroachment from markets,” Ahmed told the delegation of traders which was headed by ICCI President Ahmed Hasan Mughal.

The CDA chairman said that many markets had become congested due to encroachment making shopping an arduous exercise.

He sought the help of the business community in the entire operation. He expressed the view to from a committee to review the encroachment and to call a meeting for briefing the representatives of business community regarding the operation till Friday.

ICCI President Mughal said that the encroachment were not established overnight, these were established with consent of CDA.

The chamber chief said CDA should take into confidence the related market union prior to launching any operation and give time for removing encroachment.

The ICCI president said that the registered and tax paying business community was not in favour of encroachment.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Vice-President Mohammad Aijaz Abbasi demanded a briefing before launching any operation so that the encroachment could be identified.

Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Ajmal Baloch said they were willing to cooperate with CDA on encroachment issue but these illegal extensions did not come into existence by action of small traders only, rather there was official patronage to set up encroachment.

He said that Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) had rented out footpaths to stall holders which have now been declared encroachment. He agreed that these stalls should be removed because they cause difficulties to pedestrians.

RCCI voices concerns

The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has come forward to resolve issues faced by traders in Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and emphasized the board to amicably resolve issues such as old-grant properties, encroachment, property and shop board tax etc.

In this regard, the delegation headed by the president RCCI Malik Shahid Salim, held a meeting with the RCB Executive Officer Sibtain Raza.

While talking to the delegation, Sibtain Raza said that recommendations from RCCI pertaining beautification, better traffic flow and encroachments would be implemented. He added the city would be beautified and transformed into a tourist attraction under RCCI’s Glorious Rawalpindi programme.

He added that resolution of difficulties faced by the business community would be resolved on priority basis while all outstanding matters would be resolve amicably.

Sibtain Raza added that a parking plaza in Rawalpindi was the need of the time while they were making efforts for land acquisition.

RCCI President Saleem assured the community would provide every possible help in efforts for improvement in the city. He suggested that joint efforts should be made for eradicating encroachments across the city.

He added that an organized parking system and a fool proof security were essential for blooming business activities.

Sibtain Raza was also given a detailed briefing regarding the Glorious Rawalpindi programme by the Asad Mushadi. During the briefing, he said that restoration of city’s beauty was the ultimate goal of program while the city would be made encroachment-free.

He added Rawalpindi would be made a model city in terms of security while its entry and exit points would also be decorated to promote tourist and business activities.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2019.