HAFIZABAD-Not even a single problem put forward to the DCO on his assuming charge by a delegation has been resolved during the past five months, the citizens complained.
DCO Ahmad Rajwana had promised to beautify the city, eliminate encroachments, provide green belts on the Gujranwala Road from Jinnah Chowk to General Bus Stand, remove encroachments, rid the city of land grabbers and improve the governance to mitigate the sufferings of the masses.
Whenever a new DCO is appointed here, he makes promises to get cheap publicity but the promises were never materialised. The DCO had boasted that he would clear the Augean Stables, give the city a new look and rid it of all the encroachments. In the beginning, he ordered to eliminate all the encroachments particularly pushcarts from the busy roads and appointed a young and hardworking officer in the TMA and gave him task to remove encroachments from all the city roads. The officer accepted the gigantic challenge and took keen interest, worked hard day and night and succeeded in removing 80% encroachments within two weeks, which was appreciated by the citizens.
Meanwhile, he placed the services of a TMA officer, who remained glued with the TMA for more than six years and was allegedly found multiplying encroachments and indulging in different irregularities, at the disposal of the Local Government secretary. Journalists and citizens had told the DCO then that the officer being very “influential and powerful” would succeed in getting his re-posting in the TMA. However, the DCO had declared unequivocally that the “corrupt” officer would not be able to get his re-posting in the TMA. He had categorically stated that either he or the said officer would remain in Hafizabad.
But the officer, against whom corruption allegations had also been proved, was reposted in the TMA after about a month and thus “challenged” the “writ” of the DCO but the latter remained mum due to political expediency.
Soon after his reposting, encroachments on all the roads resurfaced and pushcart owners, supported by a powerful mafia which included some so-called notables and journalists, have occupied almost all the roads causing problems for the vehicular traffic and pedestrians. Fawara Chowk, Old Katchehri Road, Vanike Chowk, Alipur Road, Vanike Road, Gujranwala Road have been virtually occupied by the pushcart owners that caused traffic hazards on the roads.
Moreover, the footpaths constructed on the Gujranwala Road outside the Tehsil Office and on old Katcheri Road, meant for pedestrians, have been virtually allotted to vendors thus encouraging permanent encroachments in the city.
A model bazaar was established in the old Sabzi Mandi on Alipur Road where Sasta Ramzan Bazaar was arranged. The bazaar was inaugurated with pomp and show by a State Minister and it was then decided that after Eidul Fitr, all pushcarts owners would be shifted and rehabilitated in the said bazaar but the administration failed to convince the pushcart owners to shift to the model bazaar. The so-called model bazaar was established by spending million of rupees, now wears a deserted look.
The condition of most of the city roads and thoroughfares further deteriorated despite promise made by the DCO to resurface and repair them before rainy season. These roads, particularly during rains, created multiple problems to the dwellers as well as pedestrians and vehicle owners.
No permanent encroachment has been razed to the grounds. Even influential, who had occupied graveyard land in Bubban Bukhari and Railway Road graveyard in Hafizabad and Alimpura graveyard Jalalpur Bhattian, were not taken to task and the graveyard land has not yet been retrieved.
Most of the filtration plants remain non-functional, consequently the citizens suffered from several water-related diseases. The water reservoir which supply water to the citizens has never been cleaned nor chlorinated and it supplies impure and sewage-mixed water to the citizens which caused different ailments, particularly gastroenteritis.
Citizens demand smooth flow of traffic, better sanitary conditions, periodical desilting of open drains, proper functioning of sewerage system, pure drinking water and other civic amenities, which must be provided by the officers for which they are paid lucrative salaries and privileges.