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KARACHI, Oct 20: With a view to discouraging the trend of encroaching upon roads and footpaths by shopkeepers, the city government on Thursday made it mandatory upon shopkeepers to seek permission from the town concerned before opening their shops so that they could do their businesses in a planned manner.
It was decided at a joint meeting of towns nazims held at the Nazim Secretariat with the city Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, in the chair.
Expressing concern over growing encroachments on roads, the meeting noted that the menace of encroachment on roadsides and footpaths was not only creating hindrance in the flow of traffic, but also presenting an ugly sight to passersby, besides usurping the pedestrians’ rights of using footpaths.
The participants of the meeting hoped that by issuing permission to shopkeepers, the towns concerned would be able to check unplanned opening of shops on roadsides and footpaths, as well as to check whether a shopkeeper has unlawfully occupied space lying in front of his shop.
TOLL-FREE NO: The meeting also decided to introduce an easy toll-free number on the pattern of 134 whereby citizens would be able to approach directly to the concerned union council, town and the CDGK’s departments for the resolution of their problems.
The officials concerned who would be receiving complaints would be bound to redress the grievances of public and in case if they are unable to do so, he will be required to refer the complaints immediately to the higher ups of the department concerned for their early solution.
The toll-free number will be entirely computerised and the City Nazim, the town nazim concerned or the officials associated with the system will have direct access with the system for monitoring the status of the public complaints and progress through computer.
The City Nazim and town nazims also resolved to be available to general public once a week to listen to the problems of the people and in this regard the meeting decided that the people can talk to the City Nazim every Saturday between 9 am and 12 noon at his office while the town nazims would also be available in their respective offices of Wednesdays during the same timings.
Reiterating his desire of making the city clean and tidy and a place where people could feel satisfied and lead a secure life, the Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, said that it was only possible when there is a strong coordination between the people, the CDGK and the town municipal administrations.
In this regard, he also stressed the need for resolving people’s problems through the community development boards.
