Illegal rickshaw stands, encroachments irk public

SIALKOT-On the repeated complaints made by the citizens, the Municipal Corporation has announced to launch a vigorous anti-encroachment drive to purge the Sialkot city of encroachments in active collaboration with the local traders.

No hindrance would be tolerated in the way to remove these encroachments, the Sialkot mayor said while addressing a meeting of the members. He said that the entire Sialkot city was in the grip of encroachments. He said the encroachers have illegally occupied the ways in the bazaars. The mayor added that the uncontrolled encroachments were eclipsing the beauty of the city creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic on all the main inter-city roads in Sialkot.

He added that early launch of anti-encroachment drive has become vital. He said that the Municipal Corporation would soon start the campaign to purge the Sialkot city of the encroachments as top priority in active collaboration with the local traders.

The people said that due to the uncontrolled encroachments in front of the shops in almost all the bazaars, markets, business and trade centres and pathways have become much narrow creating hurdles for the passersby.
They stated that the situation has put a big question marks on the alleged poor performance of the Sialkot Municipal Corporation and traffic police.

The encroachments have resurfaced in Sialkot city’s almost all the congested, residential, commercial and industrial areas. These were creating difficulties for the locals, halting the trade and business activities, creating traffic and parking problems and damaging the beauty of the city.

According to the local social, religious, business and political circles, these encroachments were still remaining unchecked allegedly by the Sialkot district administration and Municipal Corporation, which are irking the people.
The people said that most of the encroached areas were lying under the nose of district administration.

They revealed that illegal parking lots and rickshaws stands on the main roads including congested Allama Iqbal Chowk, Chowk Shaheedaan, Bano Bazaar, Main Bazaar, Kashmiri Bazaar, Tehsil bazaar, Budhi Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Lehaai Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Railway Road, Mujahid Road, Kutchery Road, Khadim Ali Road, Hajipura Road, Kashmir Road, Defence Road, Pasrur Road and Paris Road are the main causes of traffic jams.

Chowk Shaheedaan, Urdu Bazaar, Adda Shehbaz Khan, Mori Gate, Kashmiri Bazaar, Tehsil Bazaar, Bano Bazaar, Bazaar Khateekaan, Trunk Bazaar, Muslim Bazaar, Lehaai Bazaar, Hajipura, Naikapura, Gohdpur, Commissioner Road, Daska Road, Muzaffarpur, Pakka Garha and Fatehgarh are in grip of the encroachments.

The people expressed grave concern over the situation. They urged Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Commissioner Gujranwala M Asif and Mayor Tauheed Akhtar to ensure early removal of the encroachments from the city.
When contacted, the mayor said that the issue of encroachments was being resolved in active cooperation with the local traders. He said that the Municipal Corporation would launch anti-encroachments campaign in a couple of days to purge the city of encroachments as top priority.

Source: The Nation