ISLAMABAD - Issuance of licences to sell seasonal fruits in the capital city has become one of the sources of money-making for officials deputed at the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI). DMA grants licences to sell oranges and fish in the winter season while it gives licences to sell watermelons in the summer season. It has been learnt that the practice to grant temporary permissions in this regard was launched to facilitate the citizens to get fresh seasonal fruits on cheap rates but the concerned officials deputed at DMA with the backing of their higher ups allegedly use it as an opportunity to take bribes from vendors. “Rs.15000 per month is fixed as official fee to take temporary licence to sell seasonal fruit in the capital city, however the under the table bribe to get the permission is much higher”, an insider alleged, adding: “The DMA’s officials receive heavy bribes to issue licences for potential locations for this purpose.” Meanwhile, it was observed by this scribe during an on ground visit that most of the stalls are working without any licence issued by the competent authority while these stallholders informed that they are paying bribes to the field staff of MCI on monthly basis.
Dozens of stalls of oranges and fish are operational across the city especially in sectoral areas but only a few of them have valid licences. The Director DMA Zafar Iqbal was unavailable to comment on the situation however an inspector dealing with these licences Rafaqat Kiani informed that the DMA has issued around 30 licences to sell oranges and fish so far. When asked that a number of stalls are working without licences, he replied that it is the not our duty to restrict them but it is the mandate of Enforcement Directorate.
Sources inside MCI informed that the DMA issues licences only for a month against the payment of Rs.15000 but nobody bothers to take its extension as they have a nexus with the field staff of MCI and CDA. It was also alleged by some of the stallholders that there is a monopoly of a few people, who obtain the licences of prime locations each year with different names and further lease out to poor people on higher rent. According to the licence issued by DMA, the same cannot be transferred to anybody else however there are hardly few people, who were present on stalls while the rest was being run by third parties. A former Director DMA while talking to the Nation accepted that the discretionary powers to grant such licenses make the whole process dubious and suggested that the MCI should identify potential sites for this purpose and grant licences by inviting bids from fruit vendors.