Rawalpindi : Over 10,000 unemployed vendors, hawkers, stall holders, cart-pushers and kiosks runners in city/cantonment and Potohar Town areas have appealed government to provide them alternate place to earn their livelihood for their families. They are facing hardships as they have no source of income after the anti-encroachment drive.
The poor victims told ‘The News’ that they were running their business with the consent of the local government officials and used to pay them huge money on monthly basis. But now the government is taking action only against poor people rather to arrest those who allowed them at that time after getting money.
It was necessary to provide alternative space to them before start of anti-encroachment drive. Providing jobs and shelter is the sole responsibility of government, the victims said.
Rawalpindi Cantonment Board Cart Pusher Union President Muhammad Sarwar Abbasi has strongly condemned the government said that over 500 cart pushers were doing business at Railway Road Saddar for the last 22 years having permits of concerned authority. But, they are unemployed for a month and facing financial crisis, he said. Government should provide them alternative place to install the business and earn bread and butter for our families, he demanded.
Chaklala Cantonment Bo-ard (CCB) Secretary Rana Amanullah Khan has admitted to provide alternative space to cart pushers, vendors and stall holders to establish their business. But, we are only following the orders of higher authorities, he said.
Raja Bazaar Cart Pusher Union President Shabbir Ahmed said that we have given ‘bribe’ to enforcement staff of Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) on daily basis. Despite of it, we are like a rolling stone. Government should provide us an alternative place to adjust over 2,000 cart pushers, vendors and stall holders, he demanded. He said that over 10,000 people became unemployed during anti-encroachment drive.
Muhammad Israr, a cart pusher said that he has three children, wife and an old mother in his house. “How I can survive without work,” he said. He said that government promised to provide jobs but they are only snatching bread and butter of poor public. My children are not going to school due to my unemployment, he said.
Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) Chief Officer Syed Shafqat Raza said that we are trying to convince higher authorities to provide an alternative place to stall holders to earn their bread and butter.
We consider the financial problems of affected people, he said.
He also admitted that it should arrest those officials they allowed them to establish their businesses at that time.
