Rawalpindi: RCB launches drive against encroachment mafia

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saeed Ahmed
The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board Thursday carried out a grand operation against the encroachers and shopkeepers in Qasim Market and removed encroachments and signboards in a large number.

Before conducting the operation, RCB Chief Executive Officer Rafiq Adil Siddique accompanied by enforcement staff paid a surprise visit to different areas in Westridge and Peshawar Road. During inspection, the CEO found that the shopkeepers in certain areas including Allahabad, Qasim Market, Afshan Colony, Choor Chowk, Charring Cross have placed their items outside their shops. Some shopkeepers have also erected temporary and permanent covers outside their shops while some of them even allowed vendors to set up their stalls in front of their shops.

According to the CEO, the shopkeepers had also erected signboards of different sizes in violation of the rules and regulations of the Cantonment Board. He said that the RCB had served notices to the shopkeepers asking them to remove old signboards of different sizes and instead display signboards of smaller sizes outside their shops. The shopkeepers did not pay heed to the notices. Therefore the operation was launched against these shopkeepers and encroachment mafia.

During operation, the enforcement staff also confiscated the electronic appliances placed out of the shops. The enforcement squad also removed the stallholders and also took away with them a number of push carts.

Immediately after the drive, dozens of shopkeepers gathered outside the office of the CEO and lodged protest against the action of RCB. Some of the affectees including Saghir Shah, Qadeer Shah, Raja Zahoor, Khalid Barlas, Akbar and Dr Ayub talking to ‘The News’ threatened to block the main road in Qasim Market besides staging a demonstration, if the RCB does not pay heed to their demands including returning of their confiscated items, electronic appliances, and stopping any future action against them.

Saghir Shah said that the RCB has been given a deadline of 12 noon on Friday to meet their demands otherwise they will have no option left, but to block the main road in Westridge and stage a demonstration. Talking to ‘The News’ RCB CEO Rafi Adil said that the belongings of traders and shopkeepers would be returned only after payment of fines and a trial in the court of magistrate. “Legal punishment is necessary to bar them from violating the rules and regulations in future,” he added.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=201170