Mayor: Amar Colony shops could be de-sealed subject to conditions

The Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee has allowed the conditional de-sealing of 392 shops in Delhi's Amar Colony. Traders will have to complete certain formalities to get their shops de-sealed. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi will assist in the process.

Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi on Friday said the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee (sealing panel) has allowed the conditional de-sealing of around 392 shops at Amar Colony in Lajpat Nagar 4, that were sealed in 2018 subject to some conditions, and said that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will facilitate the process for providing relief to the traders.

New Delhi, India - April 6, 2018: Shopkeepers in Amar Colony Lajpat Nagar got alerted and gathered after they heard about the sealing team will arrive in the market for sealing, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, April 6, 2018. (Photo by Burhaan Kinu/ Hindustan Times) (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

In 2018, the monitoring committee had ordered the sealing of the old double story garments market in Lajpat Nagar 4 due to violations of building norms and encroachments on public land. Around 392 shops in the market were sealed during the drive.

Oberoi said the committee has now ordered to de-seal all these shops. “I would like to thank the monitoring committee. Shop owners will have to complete some formalities to get their shops de-sealed. Under this, an undertaking will have to be given in which they will have to submit a supplement lease deed. Apart from this, any penalty or miss use charge will have to be paid. If there are any other outstanding charges including conversion charges, parking charges, they will have to be paid. Structural stability certificate will also have to be submitted to MCD. On completion of these formalities, all these shops will be de sealed,” the mayor said.

HT reached out to the monitoring committee, but did not receive a response to queries for comment.

Leader of the house and AAP leader Mukesh Goyal said that the life of around 400 traders and 20,000 other dependent people was linked to running on these shops, and a large number of people have got relief after this decision. Goyal said: “Whatever formalities are required by the MCD, they will be completed as soon as possible. So that the shops can be de sealed soon.”

Leader of the opposition and BJP councillor Raja Iqbal Singh said the mayor was falsely taking credit for desealing the shops. “Several meetings were held by BJP with Union urban development and housing minister Hardeep Singh Puri. AAP did not take any steps in this matter, nor did they make any efforts, and now they are trying to falsely claim credit for it.”