January 16, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 15, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 15: The Municipal Administration of Saddar Town on Sunday announced the start of a two-month massive drive against encroachments from Jan 16. The action is being taken to counter the mushroom growth of roadside stalls and to discourage commercial trading on streets.

The step is also aimed at facilitating residents and shoppers, especially women, who face immense problem due to these encroachments.

Illegal constructions and encroachment on roads also affect the movement of emergency vehicles in the event of any tragedy.

The TMA has completed all arrangements for launching the anti-encroachment drive and has also decided to setup camps for keeping check on elements occupying government property, said a statement.

The Site Town has planned a comprehensive operation against encroachments and a letter in this regard has been sent to nine UCs on the directive of Town Nazim Izharuddin Ahmed directing them to identify the encroachments.

In a statement of the town administration on Sunday, the town nazim asked the encroachers to voluntarily remove their encroachments and abstain from re-establishing the same.

Earlier, the city government’s department of local taxes, on the directive of City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, launched a campaign against illegal hoardings in the city.

The drive was started with removal of dozens of illegal hoardings from Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road and Clifton, said a city government statement on Sunday.

The action follows a decision made a few days back in a meeting chaired by the city nazim to launch a campaign against all advertisement billboards, the owners of which had not yet submitted the required fees even after issuance of notices.

After the deadline, the first phase of the campaign against illegal hoardings was initiated on Saturday from Saddar Town during which a large number of billboards were removed.— PPI/APP