Anti-encroachment: Putting reclaimed state land to good use

The PHA has planted trees on several plots.

LAHORE:

All town administrators and town municipal officers have been asked to submit proposals on how to best use the land retrieved from encroachers during the city government’s anti-encroachment drive.

District Coordination Officer Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi has said that these plans can include tuff tiling, green belts, setting up nurseries and widening roads or commercial structures.

The DCO has also directed the TMOs to register people who own or use hand-held and donkey drawn carts in their towns.

He said the town administrations will identify areas where such vendors can sell their wares.

He said the district administration planned to set up more than one “rairhi bazaar” in each town. The district administration also plans to help them educate their children and provide free healthcare facilities for their families.

A committee comprising Dr Amjid Saqib, Dr Javed, MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir and Chaudhry Shahbaz will work on this project.

A few days ago, the district administration proposed some sites (retrieved from land grabbers) to the Parks and Horticulture Authority for plantation.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority expects to complete the plantation in a few days. Trees have been planted on 18 kanals on Link Road; four kanals on Ravi Link Road; 16 kanals at the Civic Centre, in Allama Iqbal Town’s Karim Block.

Plantation is under progress on five kanals on Sheikhupura Road, Shahdara Chowk; two kanals at Pather Market, Ferozepur Road; and two plots measuring six kanals and 10 marlas at Jorrey Pull near Harbanspura.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2014.