In what may bring smiles on the faces of thousands of traders running unauthorised shops in the old city, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has passed a resolution to declare about 20 important roads as commercial.
At present over 90% of the roads are non-commercial that means all the commercial activities on these roads are illegal. Sources claim that those who are carrying out commercial activity on these roads are paying bribes to MCG officials.
"It will benefit the corporation as well as the business establishments. The corporation will earn huge revenue while people will be able to legalise their properties by paying commercial conversion fees," said Yashpal Batra, senior deputy mayor, Gurgaon.
The councillors passed the resolution in a House meeting on December 6 and directed MCG commissioner Vijay Singh Dahiya to take necessary steps to convert major roads into commercial. At present, businessmen live in fear as many of them have received demolition notice from the MCG enforcement department.
"A survey is underway to identify whether these roads meet the parameters as defined in the Haryana Municipal Building Bylaws 1982," said a senior MCG official.
{{/usCountry}}"A survey is underway to identify whether these roads meet the parameters as defined in the Haryana Municipal Building Bylaws 1982," said a senior MCG official.
{{/usCountry}}"Once the survey is complete, the report will be forwarded to the town planning department that is the competent authority to scrutinise the survey factors," said the official.
Four parameters related to width, land status, existing plots' commercial ratio and clearance from the departments other than the MCG are essential to declare a road commercial.
"There are mainly two criteria that should be met -- the road must be 12 metres wide and there should be minimum 40% commercial activity on it," said SC Kush, senior town planner, MCG.
The roads which will be declared commercial include stretches between Dundahera border and Hanuman temple, Hanuman temple and Ram Chowk, Rajnagar and NH-8, Sabzi Mandi and Gandhi Nagar, Devilal park and ITM Colony.
In Gurgaon, a few roads such as Old and New Railway roads, Old Delhi Road and MG Road are commercial allowing people to run business activities.