KOHAT: The traders have again refused to shift to the new fruit and vegetable market on Bannu road here, saying despite making full payments they are yet to be given outlets for running their businesses there.

Kohat deputy commissioner Kamran Ahmed Afridi has issued orders to traders to shift their businesses to the new market within 10 days, otherwise force would be used for vacation of the old marketplace located on Hangu road.

Mr Afridi has directed the police and other relevant departments, including the chief municipal officer of tehsil municipal administration, to implement his orders in letter and spirit.

It is important to mention here that since the construction of new market on Bannu road on a vast 67 kanals of land costing Rs70.65 million in 2009, five deputy commissioners have come and gone but their orders in this regard couldn’t be implemented.

The fresh orders have been issued on the instructions of the Supreme Court.

The current fruit market on Hangu road spreading over a 10 kanals of land is seven feet below the ground level and gets flooded during rains, affecting the businesses. A canal flowing alongside it often overflows inundating nearby localities as it remained choked because the traders dump perished fruits and vegetables in it.

The traders have been demanding that they would shift to the new market only when all the shops and a ten-feet high boundary wall were built, a police checkpost, a bank, latrines and sheds were established. Moreover, they demand that the ground of the new market should be concreted as per the PC-1 of the project.

Out of total 107 shops, only 34 have so far been constructed at the new fruit market, although traders have made payments of all the shops.

A TMA official told Dawn that a contractor from Punjab was hired in July 2008 to construct the market on built, operate and transfer basis within one year. He was also given a three months extension for completion of the project, but he again failed.

The official maintained that the contractor was taking the plea that he had suffered huge losses in some other projects in Kohat and that the traders should contact the TMA for return of their payments or completion of the market.

They alleged that the contractor was settled in Islamabad and had refused to come to Kohat.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2015

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