RAWALPINDI: The district administration has asked the Land Revenue Department to conduct a survey of Raja Bazaar, Adiala Road and Commercial Market for the removal of permanent and temporary encroachments and widening of roads.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema asked the revenue officials to conduct the survey of the three areas to remove encroachments on the directives of the Punjab government.

In these areas, shopkeepers and commercial building owners have encroached on footpaths and right of way of roads. Due to this, civic bodies are unable to clean roadside drains.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that political figures from the ruling and opposition parties wanted to stop the administration from launching any operation, but there was a clear direction from the Punjab government to clear the roads.

He said last week, a drive was launched against encroachments in Adiala Road but political figures from both the opposition and ruling parties expressed their resentment.

Upon this, he said, the district administration decided to conduct a fresh survey of the areas as per revenue department record to remove permanent and temporary encroachments from Adiala Road.

He said under the new plan, the road would be cleared 10 feet from both sides. The Punjab government has given the go-ahead signal to the administration to ensure smooth flow of traffic and facilitate pedestrians.

In an earlier survey, 700 constructions were found in the area from Khawaja Corporation to Adiala Jail, which were located on the right of way. It was decided that the right way will be cleared in any case.

On the other hand, the district administration has already demolished all billboards and other temporary structures in the area from Khawaja Corporation Bus stop to the Adiala jail.

The official said the Punjab government also had made a plan to spend Rs2.850 billion on reconstruction of Adiala Road from Kutchery Chowk to the jail in the next fiscal year.

“Adiala Road is an important access road to the mega Ring Road project. Plans are being worked out to make it wide and signal free,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2024