NDMC clears reduction in damage charges for Sarojini Nagar market

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday cleared a proposal seeking to reduce the damage charges -- a fee paid to regularise extensions and/or alterations made to an existing building -- for properties in Sarojini Nagar market The municipal council was earlier using the land rates applicable to Khan Market for Sarojini Nagar Market and the rates will now be changed to that of Moti Bagh, for the purpose of calculating damage charges of flats located in the Sarojini Nagar market, said NDMC vice-chairperson Satish Upadhyay

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday cleared a proposal seeking to reduce the damage charges -- a fee paid to regularise extensions and/or alterations made to an existing building -- for properties in Sarojini Nagar market

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The municipal council was earlier using the land rates applicable to Khan Market for Sarojini Nagar Market and the rates will now be changed to that of Moti Bagh, for the purpose of calculating damage charges of flats located in the Sarojini Nagar market, said NDMC vice-chairperson Satish Upadhyay.

“Since Sarojini Nagar Market was not mentioned in the schedule of residential land rates, as notified by L&DO (Land and Development Office), we were calculating the damage charges for residential flats in Sarojini Nagar Market by on the basis of land rates in Khan Market. On the advice of the L&DO, the residential land rate of Moti Bagh, which is nearer to Sarojini Nagar Market, has been approved by the council,” he said.

Ashok Randhawa, who heads the traders welfare association in the mini market of Sarojini Nagar, said the market was developed on the model of 200 shops on the ground floor and residential flats on the first floor. “Over the previous decades, these residential properties were turned into commercial ones and many alterations were made. The damage charges are paid in lieu of these changes and alterations. The usage of Khan Market rates made damage charges unnecessarily high and traders have raised the issue with the council on several occasions. Reduction in rates will help in the structural improvement of the market,” he said.

Girish Sachdeva, NDMC member who also heads the special committee on market redevelopment, said the exercise was undertaken to rationalise the anomaly. “Damage charges are paid for regularization of minor alternations and changes made to buildings. It was illogical to charge Khan Market rates for Sarojini Nagar and in the coming days, rates for more markets will be rationalised,” he said.

Sarojini Nagar market is an L&DO market constructed in the year 1951.Earlier, it was known as Vinay Marg Sub-District Centre. The market was a non-hierarchal commercial centre till the 1990s with 184 shops on the ground floor, eight corner shops and eight coal depots. “Currently, there are 384 units in the market, including 184 flats on first floor,” an NDMC official said, asking not to be named.

The council meeting on Wednesday also saw the oath taking ceremony of the new NDMC chairperson Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1990 batch. The council also approved rehabilitation work on the sewage network from Telegraph Lane to Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Madhav Rao Scindia Marg at the cost of ₹5.57 crore.