Encroachments: Drive to continue till 5th, says DCO

LAHORE, March 31: District Coordination Officer Ahad Cheema has said the ongoing operation against encroachments will continue till April 5. Presiding over a meeting in his office on Thursday, the DCO directed all town municipal administrations (TMAs) to remove debris of encroachments by April 10, submit a report on daily basis regarding re-emergence of illegal structures and ensure cleanliness there. Cheema also directed that repair and carpeting of roads that had been in a dilapidated condition should be completed. Vendors should not be allowed to come to major thoroughfares besides commercial areas and violators should be dealt with an iron hand. Expressing displeasure over the performance of Lahore Development Authority staff, the DCO asked them to extend all-out cooperation to TMA squads. He also sought lists of TMA and LDA officials deputed to monitor re-emergence of encroachments. Taking a strict notice of the presence of huge signboards at certain buildings, Cheema asked the officials concerned to remove the same. He said illegal parking lots and encroachments on GT Road would not be tolerated and a mechanism be devised to prevent emergence of the same. Meanwhile, some 15 illegal shops were demolished in Gulberg as part of the ongoing operation against encroachments on Thursday. The operation was carried out by LDA's Town Planning Wing and Estate Management Directorate staff in collaboration with the Gulberg Town. The shops had been constructed on state land near the Government College for Women, Gulberg, and the illegal commercial activity had been causing hurdles in smooth flow of traffic and movement of pedestrians in the locality.