Ghaziabad authority ‘seals’ shop in residential area with staff inside
The drive was carried out by the authority around 2pm in H block was part of the exercise to seal all commercial operations in residential localities. However, the authority officials said the allegations were untrue
During a sealing drive carried out by the Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) on Wednesday afternoon, the traders and locals in Sector 23 alleged that the authority officials also sealed 10 of the staff members inside a sweets shop. The authority has sealed two shops being run illegally from a residential area.
The drive was carried out by the authority around 2pm in H block was part of the exercise to seal all commercial operations in residential localities. The officials reached the sweets shop of Sunil Gupta and sealed the premises.
“We reached the spot and found that 10 staff members were inside when the officials sealed the premises. Locals raised a hue and cry and, later, the officials arrived and broke the seal. They did not seal the shop after that,” said Pradeep Chaudhary, president of H block RWA.
However, the authority officials said the allegations were untrue and that they had checked the entire premises before sealing it.
“We came to know that Gupta’s house is located right behind the shop and he made some of his staff members enter the shop through the rear staircase. The entire incident is fabricated and taken up to keep officials from sealing the shop that was running illegally,” said Gynendra Verma, joint secretary, GDA.
The officials said that they later opened the shop for three days in order to allow the shop owner to remove the food items.
The GDA is presently acting tough on illegal operations in residential areas and have also taken up an anti-encroachment drive in all eight zones under its jurisdiction. The drive against encroachment and illegal activities has been ordered by the state government.