Delhi Mayor orders MCD Commissioner to stop sealing in rural areas

New Delhi, Apr 29 : Much to the respite of the citizens of New Delhi, Delhi Mayor Aarti Mehra ordered Municipal Corporation of Delhi Commissioner KS Mehra today not to conduct ongoing sealing and demolition drive in the rural areas adjoining the National Capital Region.

Mayor had recently written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention to end the ongoing sealing and demolition drive.

She had also criticized Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for being a mute spectator on the sealing drive.

Commissioner on Monday had issued orders to deputy commissioners of all 12 zones to begin sealing in their areas in compliance with the Supreme Court orders.

On the first day of the resumed drive, 261 units were sealed.

The Supreme Court had ordered civic agencies on March 10 to seal shops not covered by Master Plan 2021 or the central government's notification of January 30, 2008, within three months.

Traders were given 45 days to shut shop. A notice was also issued by MCD.

Despite the advance notice, traders in many areas claimed they had no idea that MCD was planning to resume the sealing drive, otherwise they would have tried emptying their shops much earlier.

The civic agency had constituted 40 teams to carry out sealings in all zones.

The shops which came under the sealing list were those on unnotified roads, except those with an area of less than 20 square metres and under 24 categories specified by the Supreme Court. Even those shops located on mixed land use roads and not on the ground floor were also in the list.

The traders who could not get themselves registered by June 30, 2007 and who were threatened by the orders are in respite after Mayor’s announcement. (ANI)