Islamabad: Encroachments go unchecked in capital

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Fazal Sher

ISLAMABAD: Growing encroachments in different parts of the capital city are a big question mark on the performance of the Enforcement Directorate of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) that is often seen cracking down on encroachers.

During a visit to Aabpara, Faizabad, Melody, Blue Area, Supper Market and different trade centers in the I and G series sectors, Daily Times saw almost all the roads, footpaths and shop fronts covered with a motley collection of encroachments. In Blue Area – the business hub of the capital city – and Aabpara, traders, especially those dealing in electronic goods, put their goods on the footpaths in violation of the CDA rules, which disallow the dumping of goods outside shops and prescribe seizure of such goods.

In Faizabad, vendors could be seen selling a wide assortment of goods on the footpaths, forcing the pedestrians to use the roads to the risk of being run over by some fast moving vehicle.

Pleading anonymity, a CDA official said that the failure of the Enforcement Directorate to take action against vendors was the main reason for the growing number of encroachments in the city. “The CDA staff does not take action against those who set up their stalls on the footpaths in front of shops, as most of them regularly bribe the low-ranking officials of Enforcement Directorate,” he said.

He said not only the shopkeepers, but also the owners of a number of hotels and restaurants in different parts of the city encroach upon the CDA land and shop front, causing inconvenience to the pedestrians. He said most of the encroachers reestablish their stalls after the CDA encroachment campaigns.

Ashfaq, a senior citizen, said that the CDA must ensure a ruthless crackdown on the encroachers, as they not only inconvenience the pedestrians, but also mar the beauty of the city by dumping unwanted things on the roadside.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_6