Sealing of 55,000 illegal shops in Delhi from Wednesday

Mar 27, 2007, 15:30 GMT

New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) The sealing drive against illegal establishments in the capital will resume Wednesday with municipal authorities saying about 55,000 such shops will be targeted this time.

The drive would continue regardless of civic elections early next month, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said.

'We know there is an election, but as per the Supreme Court's direction, the sealing drive is starting Wednesday. Commercial units running in violation of the Delhi Master Plan-2021 will face the heat,' said Deep Mathur, MCD's chief spokesman.

'Over 55,000 commercial units running illegally in 573 mixed land-use roads will be sealed in the coming days. These shops operate from the first floor and above,' Mathur told IANS.

In the 573 'mixed land use roads', the Delhi Master Plan-2021 allows commercial establishments to run only from ground floor. 'Anything beyond the ground floor is deemed illegal.'

The Supreme Court last week ordered resumption of the sealing drive from March 28 against unauthorised commercial establishments that do not confirm to the Master Plan.

The court, however, allowed a four-day break - between April 4 and 7 - to facilitate the polling and counting process for MCD elections scheduled April 5.

Delhi's traders are naturally worried.

'We are concerned and in touch with both the urban development ministry and MCD. All traders should get justice and we would request all concerned parties, including the honourable court,' said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

Delhi's ruling Congress party said this development might affect the outcome of the civic election.

'It will certainly have a bearing on the election as traders' dissatisfaction would swing away a major chunk of vote against us,' said a Congress leader.

'We are in touch with the urban development ministry and hope for the best.'

In the civic election campaign, the Congress is showcasing the new Master Plan that has provisions to regularise over 1,500 colonies that have come up illegally apart from giving a respite to traders who run their businesses from residential colonies.

The earlier sealing drive resulted in the closure of over 14,000 shops and offices that were operating illegally from residential areas, cleaning up many neighbourhoods but throwing thousands of people out of jobs.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service