BATTAGRAM: A team of tehsil municipal administration launched an anti-encroachment campaign in the main Battagram Bazaar along the Karakoram Highway here on Tuesday.

A TMA squad accompanied by enforcement officer Dosti Rehman cleared encroachments along the roadside and took action against those traders who had rented out spaces in front of their shops.

The action was initiated when the situation worsened in Battagram Bazaar where vendors had encroached upon almost all footpaths along the main roads.

The anti-encroachment team removed the chairs and other sitting arrangements made on footpaths by restaurants and makeshift eateries for their customers.

The TMA officials warned the people not to throw garbage and dump building materials such as sand, cement bags, etc on footpaths.

Dosti Rehman told this correspondent that the action had been taken against vendors who were sitting on footpaths in front of shops and markets and using government space for their business.

He said that millions of rupees were spent on construction of footpaths to facilitate the movement of pedestrians.

Meanwhile, Dosti Rehman also visited shops in the market to check official price lists and quality of food items.

On this occasion, he asked traders to maintain cleanliness at shops and their surroundings and put garbage at dedicated places from where the TMA sanitary staff would clear it.

He fined several shopkeepers for not displaying official price lists, poor cleanliness, etc.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2021