SC committee directs MCDs to step up sealing

"The monitoring committee has decided that the local shopping complexes (LSCs), under the jurisdiction of New Delhi Municipal Council and South, East and North Delhi Municipal Corporation and violating the standard building plan, be sealed immediately," observed the monitoring committee. The notice said that the local body, police and the commissioners should be communicated properly and should be present at the time of the drive.

Since the drive began in December, traders staged agitations and major wholesale and retail markets in Delhi were shut down in protest for a few days at that time.

During the drive, the civic bodies sealed shops and restaurants for encroachment and illegal constructions, among other violations, and for allegedly not having paid conversion charges. Action has been taken against establishments in Defence Colony Market, Khan Market, Mehar Chand Market and markets in Sundar Nagar, Hauz Khas, Rajendra Nagar, Chhatarpur and Vasant Kunj.

The Supreme Court is also hearing arguments on the validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, and subsequent pieces of legislation that protect unauthorised construction from being sealed.

"The AAP has been saying from the beginning that the BJP has a complete majority in DDA, and MCD along with in the Parliament and also the Urban Development Ministry comes under them. The BJP is still doing nothing for Delhi's businessmen, but becoming a mute spectator. We condemn this silence," said Somnath Bharti, AAP MLA and board member of DDA. He further said that on May 1, 2018, at 3 pm, AAP leaders will go to meet the monitoring committee. "We will also meet the UD Minister Hardeep Puri and Home Minister Rajnath Singh. After that also if there is no solution to this problem, then we will meet with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Bharti.

The sealing drive triggered a wave of protests among traders across the city. To provide relief to these traders, the DDA had approved amendments to the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD) 2021, such as allowing a uniform floor area ratio of 350 for shop-cum-residential plots, use of basements to run business and rationalisation of conversion charges in February. The amendments were stayed by the Supreme Court in March.

NEW DELHI: The traders of Dariba Kalan, a 17th-century street in Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi or Shahjahanabad are going through a very tough time after the SC mandated monitoring committee issued new sealing drive. This market has nearly 400 shops which are situated in residential buildings and it was built much before any 'master plan' was made.

"We have met the MLA and the civic agencies many times but they told us the sealing drive is not in their hands. We also tried to meet the monitoring committee members but could not. We have just got to know that there is a new notification of sealing which might affect us," said a member of shop owners' association. The member explained that the traders have three different organisation under different political parties but all the traders are united in this matter. "We do not want to play politics over it. Every shop has average four workers who are poor people and if shops are sealed these people will become jobless," he said.

Dariba Kalan came into existence during the time of the most royal Mughal ruler, Shahjahan. The market was specially set up for the rich to splurge in precious gems, gold, silver, diamonds and much more. It eventually developed as a major centre of trade for rare stones and the finest pearls. Dariba Kalan is known for its stunning bridal collection that cannot be found anywhere else in Delhi. Besides, the antique specimens of jewellery, the market is also known for its authentic Ittar or perfumes. The Ittar found here is prepared with rare oils and natural elements.

"All our shops were set up much before even the Independence and then there was no question of such plan regarding residential area and commercial places. All these things came recently and the agencies should have recommended us some steps to handle this situation or else they should not have included us. The problem is nobody knows that sealing will happen here or not. This is giving us a nightmare," said Tarun Agarwal a shop owner.

Delhi's civic agencies started the drive in local shopping complexes (LSCs) on December 22, sealing at least 51 units in south Delhi's Defence Colony. These establishments were sealed for using residential properties for commercial purposes, for covering more than the permissible floor area ratio of 180, and non-payment of the "use conversion charge" of a residential property for business.

Over the past four months, municipal authorities have sealed illegal units in prominent LSCs such as Sunder Nagar, South Extension-I (D block), Shankar Road Market in New Rajinder Nagar, Green Park Market, Rajouri Garden and Hauz Khas.