New Delhi: Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi addressed a letter to the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Tuesday regarding the de-sealing of shops across the local shopping complexes (LSCs) in the national Capital.
The shops, spanning across the first and second floors of the complexes, had been sealed by the Monitoring Committee in 2017-2018 due to the alleged violation of building by-laws. Consequently, the Supreme Court had constituted a Judicial Committee in 2022 to investigate the entire situation.
“A letter has been written to the Commissioner to provide relief to the traders as soon as possible, in which directions have been given again that the orders of the Judicial Committee should be implemented by following both the resolutions. All these shops should be de-sealed as soon as possible. The House is supreme in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Apart from the House, no one has the power to reject any proposal and no officer has the power to overpower the policy or proposal passed by the House,” said Oberoi.
On December 20, 2023, the Mayor announced that the Committee had permitted the shops to be de-sealed in Defence Colony, Rajendra Nagar, New Rajendra Nagar, GK N-Block Market, Green Park, Hauz Khas, and South Ex-1 market, after following due procedure and clearing pending charges.
A resolution regarding the same, was passed in MCD Special House Session on December 23, 2023, and then again on January 15, 2024, but the decision has yet to be implemented.
“The Commissioner, being the executive in charge of affairs of the Corporation, was directed to immediately implement the orders of the JC and de-seal the shops as described in the December 18 order. However, to the utter dismay of the undersigned, the Commissioner has acted in complete defiance of the said resolution and filed an SLP challenging the order of the Judicial Committee,” claimed the letter. It also alleged that the SLPs have been an attempt to “vilify” the Corporation and unsettle the resolution.