Illegal shops razed near Sai Baba temple

NEW DELHI: The south Delhi municipal corporation (SDMC) in an anti-encroachment drive removed unauthorised vendors around Sai Baba Mandir on Lodhi Road on Wednesday.

A senior SDMC official said these vendors were occupying the service lane as well as the main road, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk.

Their encroachment was also leading to traffic jams on the road, the official said.

“At least 12 illegal shops outside the temple selling religious offerings were removed in heavy police presence. There was resistance from shopkeepers as they claimed the SDMC served no prior notice. But under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, we are authorised to raze temporary encroachments without prior notice,” the official said. He added the action was taken following repeated complaints from locals and tehbazari owners. Their items were also confiscated.

Building department teams also razed illegal structures outside a school at the Institutional Area on Lodhi Road on the directions of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring panel, and 20 temporary shops at Okhla Phase-i during a demolition drive.

Another team demolished seven properties at Chhattarpur Enclave, Freedom Fighter Colony and Kishangarh. “On locals’ complaints, we issued show-cause notices to unscrupulous builders found to be selling residential properties constructed without approval of building plan,” a senior SDMC official part of the drive said. In the last two months, the department has taken 116 demolition and 51 sealing actions.