BY AMJAD YOUSAF ZAI
Attock, (Bureau Report) : The deputy commissioner Attock Rao Atif Raza instructed a rigorous crackdown against the encroachment mafia in all six tehsils of the district under the Suthra Punjab campaign. He issued the direction while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of the public delivery by the government departments in the committee room on Wednesday. Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Waqas Aslam Marth, Additional Deputy Commissioner General Adnan Anjum Raja, Chief Executive District Education Authority Ms. Sajida Mukhtar, Incharge District traffic police DSP Malik Tahir Abbas, Divisional Forest Officer Ashfaq Bashir Bhutta, Chief Officer Attock Municipality Aftab Ahmed Khan, Chief Officer District Council Attock Sajid Ali Khan, District Sports Officer Naveed Abbas, Livestock and Social Welfare Department officer and all the six assistant commissioners of six tehsils were also present on this occasion. The respective officials gave a detailed briefing to the participants on revenue, price control, development projects, health departments, illegal encroachments, and other important administrative issues. In the meeting, in connection to the supply of food items at low prices, instructions were given to the market committees to make the auction process in the market more efficient while keeping the prices of vegetables and fruits stable, the rates in the open markets will be closely monitored, legal action will be taken without discrimination against those who sell kitchen items on exorbitant rates and illegal profiteering and hoarding. It was informed that over 67,000 bags have been distributed among the deserving people in the district under the Punjab Neghab Program and Attock district ranks first in the province to achieve the maximum target of distribution of free food packages. It was informed that as many as 31 price magistrates are working across the district to control prices in the markets while over 19,000 inspections have been conducted so far in which over 1.50 million rupees fine was imposed over official price list violators as well as 16 shopkeepers were arrested for illegal profiteering. It was informed that a clean-up campaign is going on under Sathra Punjab across the district and in this connection five different villages of the district are declared as model villages which are Bhoda, DheriLagal, Humak, Behbodi, and Jalwal. The relevant officers informed the participants that the government of Punjab is providing25 percent discount on 13 food items in the Sasta Ramadan Bazaar.
While addressing the participants, Mr Raza directed that an aggressive anti-encroachment campaign should be launched without any discrimination against movable and immovable encroacher mafia especially those who occupied public places like roads, footpaths, and state lands.
Mr. Raza also directed the establishment of a walking and jogging track beside a cycling track at the district council stadium. He directed the execution of a comprehensive plan to address the parking issue of rickshaws in the city and allotment of specific parking for them to address the traffic congestion issue especially densely populated bazaars and markets of the city. On this occasion, it was decided that a full-fledged tree plantation drive would be initiated across the district to achieve the spring tree plantation target with the collaboration with relevant municipal committees and tehsil forest officers.