TMA fails to clean Barra Market Road of encroachments

Rawalpindi

Despite making tall claims that the Barra Market Road would be cleaned of all kind of encroachments, the TMA has badly failed to fulfil its pledge to remove encroachers from this site. Instead of accepting the fault the higher officials including Tehsil Officer Regulations Pir Shahzad Gul have held Traffic Police responsible for opening the Barra Market Road for all kind of traffic.

When this correspondent approached TOR Pir Shahzad for getting his comments over failure of enforcement cell to remove encroachers from Barra Market, he said that the TMA carries out operations against encroachments all over the city. Number of times action was taken against encroachers in Barra Market but they reappeared again to establish their business, he said. He held the traders of Barra Market responsible for allegedly allowing people to establish their businesses after receiving amount of around Rs30,000 on monthly basis from each encroacher.

Replying to a question that why the road of Barra Market was not utilised for traffic by ending encroachments, Pir Shahzad said that it was the duty of traffic personnel particularly City Traffic Officer to open this road for traffic. He further stated that because of political interference it had become hard for TMA to clean the city from encroachers. Similarly, encroachment was an unending issue not only in Pakistan but also all over the world. Because of unemployment people establish their businesses to earn their livelihood which results in encroachments, he said. The task of TMA was to control the encroachments, the TOR said.

On the other hand, CTO Yousuf Ali Shahid expressed surprise over the statement given by the TOR that it was the responsibility of traffic personnel to clear Barra Market for running all kind of traffic. Reacting to the statement of the TOR he said that the entire Barra Market was covered by encroachers and alleged that TMA concerned officials get gratifications from encroachers. The task of traffic officials and personnel was to control traffic system and not to clear roads from encroachers. The TMA should first remove encroachments from Barra Market then the traffic would start plying on this road automatically, the CTO stated.

It may be recalled that the TMO Mir Akmal couple of months ago pledged to clear Barra Market from encroachers after paying surprise visit there. However, the promise could not be fulfilled. While giving his comments, Mir Akmal said that the task of ending encroachments from Barra Market had been given to the TOR and he was the right person to give views on the issue.

Due to failure of the enforcement cell of TMA, increase in encroachments could easily be witnessed in Barra Market thus blocking the entire road for traffic passage. It had even become difficult for pedestrians to move along this road smoothly.