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FAISALABAD, Jan 20: The Tehsil Municipal Administration (City) has given up the plan to demolish multi-storey plazas on the Circular Road drain and decided to reconstruct a carpeted road with an estimated cost of Rs30 million.
The shopkeepers of the Circular Road and Railway Road from Chartered Bank to Chiniot Bazaar had constructed makeshift structures on an open Wasa drain about four decades ago.
The defunct FMC and some district administration officials also issued them ‘qabza slips’ by charging nominal price after which they raised buildings on it, claiming themselves ‘owners’ of the property.
The revenue department and other agencies concerned made hectic efforts to get vacated these shops as no one under the law could be allowed to construct buildings on Wasa drain. But all efforts of agencies concerned were ended in smoke due to protest of shopkeepers and lack of interest by elected representatives.
In 1993, ex-divisional commissioner Tasneem Noorani had conceived a master plan for the beautification and uplift of the Faisalabad city and put this matter atop the agenda. He had notices issued to shopkeepers ordering them to vacate the premises within 15 days otherwise their establishments would be demolished.
Instead of motivating the then commissioner, the shopkeepers preferred to approach courts and get a stay order. Maj Iqbal Ahmed Raja, the successor of Noorani, reportedly planned to implement the demolition plan of shops. But, the shopkeepers filed 27 writ petitions in the LHC against the then commissioner and again succeeded in getting the stay order.
The matter had been in doldrums for the last three years after the induction of the military regime due to variety of reasons. The shopkeepers reportedly approached the TMA (City) and were succeeded in throwing the plan in the cold storage.
Now the TMA has handed over the plan of constructing the Circular Road to the National Logistic Cell with an expenditure of Rs30 million.
INCENTIVES: The provincial minister for communication and works has said a comprehensive plan has been chalked out to bring revolutionary changes in the setup of all departments so that maximum facilities can be provided to the people at their doorsteps.
Speaking at a public meeting here at the Clock Tower Intersection, Mohammad Zaheer uddin Khan said special incentives would be provided to traders, farmers, industrialists and others for which plans were being given final touches.
He said the government was committed to provide better education, health and transport facilities to the people.
He assured traders that none of the government officials would be allowed to fleece any taxpayer. The recommendations of traders and industrialists would be given due respect in policy-making, he said.
