SWABI: The officials of district administration have vowed to continue anti-encroachment drive in four tehsils of Swabi till removal of all illegal structures and streamlining of traffic flow in the bazaars.

The administration has launched anti-encroachment drive in Topi, Chota Lahor, Razaar and district headquarters Swabi on to complaints of people about traffic jam due to encroachments in the bazaars.

Officials said that the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Swabi and Topi bore fruits. They said that all encroachments would be removed from the roads and bazaars.

However, motorists and pedestrians complained that traders and vendors occupied again the pavements and roads in fronts of their shops as soon as the anti-encroachment drive was over. The shopkeepers displayed items on the pavements and rented out the roadsides to the small vendors, who placed their pushcarts there and left no room for pedestrians, they said.

Officials admitted that encroachers and vendors disappeared from the roadsides whenever an anti-encroachment drive was launched but they returned when the campaign was over. However, they said that they would monitor the situation properly and permanently and no one would be allowed to reoccupy the vacated space.

Leader of traders says they will cooperate with administration

Saleh Mohammad, a vendor in the district headquarters, said that shop owners rented out space in front of their shops to them.

Another vendor said that that they paid rent to the owners of shops for using the space outside their shops. The practice continued unabated in one shape or another, he added.

“The anti-encroachment drive has been launched several times and each time the TMA staff drives us out but after a few days we manage to take back our space and run the business,” another vendor said.

In the main bazaar of Topi there is no footpath for the pedestrians. Same is situation in Razaar and Chota Lahor bazaars.

KILLED: A man was killed allegedly by his brother over a dispute on construction of a wall in Chota Lahor here the other day.

Police said that Saeedullah and Inamullah exchanged harsh words in the presence of their father over the construction of a wall. Later, Inamullah took out a gun and opened firing on Saeedullah, killing him on the spot, they said. Inamullah managed to escape after the incident, they said.

Published in Dawn, October 29th , 2014