Delhi sealing drive moves north, 243 shops targeted in Rohini

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation officials re-sealed 243 shops in Rajapuri market (near Rohini), which were sealed in 2007.

The ongoing sealing drive, being carried out under the supervision of Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee, moved from south Delhi to the northern parts of city on Thursday.

A shop built on agricultural land in Chhatarpur sealed by South Delhi Municipal Corporation. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation officials re-sealed 243 shops in Rajapuri market (near Rohini), which were sealed in 2007.

The official said that the drive was carried to re-verify the sealing of shops in market. “These shops were constructed illegally on gram sabha land more than a decade back, while the area falls under the jurisdiction Delhi Development Authority. In 2007, we carried sealing drive on the direction of the monitoring committee here,” said a north corporation official.

“On Thursday too, the monitoring committee had directed the DDA and the MCD to revisit the place and re-seal these properties again,” he said further.

The drive, however, spread resentment among shopkeepers who have been fighting multiple agencies for the last 10 years. “The decision has affected our lives. We had to look for alternative ways to earn our bread and butter after the sealing of these shops. The action is an example of monitoring committee’s dictatorship,” said a shop owner, on condition of anonymity.

In south Delhi, the building department of municipal corporation continued the drive against shop owners misusing agricultural land for commercial use for the third consecutive day on Thursday.

The agency took action against 29 commercial establishment, most of them marble trading units on Chhatarpur Bhati Road, on the direction of the Supreme Court appointed monitoring committee. The building department of south zone sealed 29 commercial outlets during the drive.

Demolition drive in east Delhi

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Thursday also carried demolition action against 41 shops. “The shopkeepers had illegally occupied the municipal corporation land in pocket D-2 Janta Flat, Kondli (near Mayur Vihar Phase III). The defaulters were given warning through repeated notices,” said an EDMC official. The action against encroachment will continue on Friday.