Nearly 140 commercial units sealed in South, North Delhi

New Delhi: Nearly 140 commercial units in three markets in areas falling in South and North Delhi were on Friday sealed for alleged violation of municipal norms, officials said. The action on 103 units in three markets under SDMC area while 39 in North MCD's were taken on the directions of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

"Twenty-one units were sealed in Sunder Nagar Market, 48 in H-Block, DDA Market in Saket and 34 in B K Dutt Market in Rajouri Garden were sealed for misuse of property," a senior official of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said.

In areas falling under North Delhi Municipal Corporation, 10 units were sealed in Lala Lajpat Rai Market, 26 in New Qutub Road Market and three in Timarpur Market, a North MCD official said. The monitoring committee recently held a meeting and more markets are likely to face action in coming day.

SDMC, on January 16, had sealed as many as 50 basements in the shops at Defence Colony Market for misuse of the property. The Building Department of the Central Zone, SDMC, acting on the instructions sealed the basements despite a bit of resistance from the traders. On January 10, the Corporation had sealed a total of 135 establishments in Meharchand market located in Lodhi road area.

The SDMC on December 22, had sealed some famous shops and restaurants in South Delhi's posh Defence Colony market for not paying the conversion charges (Rs 89,000 per square metre) to the corporation for converting the residential complex to a commercial one. However, the conversion charges were reduced to Rs 22,000 later. Again on December 28, the civic body continuing its drive sealed 29 commercial establishment offices/shops in Chhattarpur Bhati Road.

The Corporations have reiterated that the actions are being taken after Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee visited the market and instructed officials of building departments to seal the shops running at unauthorized constructions at basement and first and above situated commercial units.

The Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee which was revived on December 15 last year, has three members including KJ Rao, former advisor to the Election Commission, Bhure Lal, chairman of Environment Pollution Prevention & Control Authority (EPCA) and Major General (retd) Som Jhingan.