LAHORE, March 4: The Data Ganj Bakhsh Town Council on Thursday expressed concern over massive encroachments in the town and constituted a seven-member committee to probe irregularities and corruption in the town planning wing.

Speaking on his motion during an extraordinary requisitioned session of the council held with town Naib Nazim Mian Usman in the chair, Shahid Saeed said the pedestrians were finding it difficult to walk in markets and bazaars due to encroachments existing in collaboration with the town staff supposed to check the menace.

Malik Munir said the poor vendors were earning their livelihood by selling items of daily use on pushcarts. He said 'rehri' bazaars should be established at different places for shifting the vendors from markets and bazaars. Mian Usman said the vendors existed in every country, but those in our country lacked discipline.

Town municipal officer Liaqat Ali Bhatti said encroachments by shopkeepers required to be removed on a priority basis. He said every shopkeeper encroached upon 10 to 15 feet space outside his shop for display of merchandize.

Philip Zafar Morris said no 'rehri' bazaar should be established along any church wall in view of the use of the same for attack on a church in the recent past.

Abdul Samad Ghani alleged corruption was rampant in the town planning wing, and the officials were facilitating construction of buildings without sanction of site plans for monetary consideration. A bearded draughtsman specialized in extorting Rs50,000 for making a site plan worth Rs2,000 by blackmailing the builders, he alleged.

Khurram Shahzad demanded an inquiry against Rana Farooq for working as a contractor in the town. The council decided to revive monitoring committees of the house for a month during which new committees would be elected.

Yousaf Lodhi had proposed revival of the committees dissolved by Mian Usman a few months back as these had functioned for one year and five months instead of one-year tenure.

A committee headed by Mian Usman was constituted for a conciliation between Shahzad Azam and Abdul Samad Ghani. The latter had been injured by the former during the Jan 26 council meeting.

Mian Rashed Iqbal's motion for adoption of a resolution of condemnation against Shahzad Azam and referring the matter to the code of conduct committee could not be adopted.

Alia Ejaz expressed concern over the growth of speedbreakers on roads, and demanded removal of the same. No decision could be taken in the matter as some members accepted involvement in the construction of speedbreakers.