RAWALPINDI: A six-member committee of traders was formed on Monday to decide on the matter of moving whole sale markets outside the city area as traders were divided on the issue.

A meeting of the traders’ association, the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and local PML-N politicians was held at the Commissioner’s Office.

The commissioner formed the six-member committee led by Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem and consisting of RCCI President Zahid Latif Khan, Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, Sheikh Siddique, Sharjeel Mir and Arshad Awan. The committee has been asked to make a decision within a week and send its report by next Monday.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the commissioner had invited traders to move the markets outside the city and that some of the traders said they were ready to do so while others had refused to move their businesses outside the city.

When asked. RCCI President Zahid Latif Khan said the majority of traders had agreed to move the markets and that the disagreement was on which market to move first. He said a meeting of the committee will be called in a day or two to make a decision on the basis of volunteers who want to move their businesses in the first phase.

“The plan is to move the whole sale markets and truck stands outside the city areas in order to end the traffic mess,” he said.

Two sites have been selected by the administration for moving the whole sale markets near Rawat but the selection between them will be made after an agreement is reached between traders.

Anti-encroachment operation next week

The commissioner also directed Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem to take traders into confidence regarding the launch of an anti-encroachment operation from next Monday.

“The mayor will advertise warnings to traders and stallholders that action will be launched against encroachments,” a senior official of the district administration told Dawn.

The commissioner has directed the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to clear all roads and footpaths from temporary and permanent encroachments next week.

Construction work on parking plaza

Deputy Commissioner Talat Mehmood Gondal was tasked with completing construction work on the parking plaza at the site of the old RMC offices on Jinnah Road, also known as City Saddar Road.

The deputy commissioner will from Tuesday onwards start work on inviting investors as the government is interested in constructing the plaza with the help of private firms.

“Local leaders of the ruling party suggested the plaza be constructed on all the three kanals and 10 marlas of land available but the district administration suggested the parking plaza be established on 13 marlas of land and that a shopping plaza be constructed on the remaining land,” a senior official of the district administration said.

The parking plaza will either be constructed on a build, operate and transfer basis or on a public-private partnership.

The deputy commissioner will consider the options after working with experts and with the consent of the provincial government.

The meeting was attended by Mayor Sardar Naseem, Deputy Commissioner Talat Mehmood Gondal, former MNAs Hanif Abbasi and Malik Shakil Awan, MNA Malik Abrar, MPA Raja Hanif Advocate, representatives of traders Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, Sheikh Saddique, Sharjeel Mir and Arshad Awan, RCCI president Zahid Latif Khan and senior officials of the revenue department.

Published in Dawn, December 05th, 2017