SARGODHA, Sept 1: Encroachments are not only resulting in roadblocks but also becoming a source of inconvenience for people.

Traffic police and anti-encroachment staff of the Tehsil Municipal Administration seem least interested in clearing the occupied spaces. Instead, they seem more interested in minting money by collecting significant amounts from shopkeepers, who have occupied much of the footpaths, as well as fruit vendors, who have taken over almost half of the roads.

During a survey, it transpired that traffic police and TMA staff are daily collecting ‘gratification’ of up to Rs200 from each roadside vendor depending on the space occupied. They are also collecting up to Rs3,000 a month from shopkeepers occupying footpaths and roads. Rickshaw drivers, mostly young boys without driving licences, are ‘favourites’ of the traffic police who daily collect up to Rs100 per rickshaw through the rickshaw union.

Liaquat Market is a well-known bicycle and lubricants market. Its traders have occupied a part of a recreation park, commonly known as Company Bagh, adjacent to the TMA office. Oil dealers sell lubricants, oil and petrol and permanently keep heavy tanks underground, while bicycle dealers have also removed the footpath and made that area a part of their shops by furthering their shed up to 10 feet.

Muhammad Yamin, claiming to be a spokesman of the traders of Liaqat Market, said they were regularly paying handsome amounts to the TMA, and sometimes the traffic police also collected their share after allowing shopkeepers and vendors to keep the encroachments. He claimed even if they had not encroached upon any space, the TMA staff would still demand their ‘share’ and in case of refusal they challaned shopkeepers. Nobody dared complain against them, hence there was no other option but to run business according to the TMA staff’s desires, he added.

A citizen, Muhammad Shakil, said he used this road daily and 100 yards were instantly occupied by encroachments in just one hour.

Advocate Mazhar Ilyas, a representative of civil society, urged the TMA administrator, DCO and DPO to check the complaints of encroachments and ensure smooth flow of traffic and pedestrian in the bazaar. He urged the officials to get encroachments permanently removed from Urdu Bazaar, Faisal Bazaar, Mohammadi Bazaar, Kutchery Bazaar, Muslim Bazaar, Liaquat Market, Sharbat Chowk and others.

TMA Administrator Dr. Farooq told Dawn he was doing all he could to set things right, but lamented people were not cooperating with the administration. He admitted some corrupt officials were allowing encroachments, claiming drives against the practice always failed due to involvement of political elites and others after paying fines.

He claimed the commissioner and DCO had directed removal of encroachments but it had not been possible due to political meddling and alleged propaganda against the TMA for snatching jobs from poor people. He said if people cooperated with the TMA they could get enough space for business and traffic flow would also not be affected. But despite getting alternate space vendors preferred to encroach upon roads, the administrator added.