LAHORE, Sept 16: Provision of facilities at the recently developed cattle market at Shahpur Kanjran has not gone beyond promises despite repeated demands by the traders.

The government had shifted the Bakar Mandi (cattle market) and slaughterhouse from Kot Kamboh to Shahpur Kanjran last month after assuring the butchers and animal traders of making it a prime commercial concern.

A visit by this reporter to Shahpur Kanjran cattle market revealed that the CDGL, the TMA and civic agencies had carried out the shifting project in haste as even most basic facilities such as cleanliness, sewerage, clean drinking water and shelters are yet to be provided.

The market presents a picture of neglect, with not much work in sight to facilitate visitors on Eidul Azha.

“You just visit this market and will find everything missing here. The administration treats us no better than animals,” deplores Muhammad Shafique.

He says the traders were quite happy with the way things were going on at Kot Kamboh and all their protests have fallen on deaf ears.

Akram, another animal trader, says the ongoing rains have turned the market a dirty place. “It is not meant for even animals,” he says sarcastically. The officials have not bothered to make available sheds, drinking water, sewerage/drainage and other facilities, he protests.

He demanded that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Commissioner Jawad Rafique Malik and DCO Noorul Amin Mengal give serious thought to the problems the stakeholders were facing at Shahpur Kanjran.

Muhammad Siddique asks the authorities to solve market problems within 15 days so that the arrival and sale/purchase of sacrificial animals in the coming days go without hassle.

A visitor this reporter talked to criticised the government for leaving development tasks incomplete at the market. “Stink and miasma have made it difficult to bargain for the animal. It seems the officials have not made any water drainage/disposal of sewerage, causing accumulation of rainwater here,” he said, adding it might cause growth of dengue larva.

Iqbal Town Municipal Officer Muhammad Saleem Khan told Dawn that the TMA had already planned various facilities for the new market. “I know the problems like drainage for which we are using dewatering machines,” he said.

Asked why the administration didn’t provide facilities before shifting, he said the old market and slaughterhouses were causing various problems to the residents and there was an urgency to shift it.