Blame game over illegal industries in N Delhi

NEW DELHI: The North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday passed a resolution, wherein they have asked the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) Limited to review the list of 22,390 illegal industrial units— allegedly operating from nonconforming or residential areas — submitted to the three civic bodies for sealing action.

According to the North civic body, the list includes units that have been shut or shifted as well.

The North civic body councillors maintained that the DSIIDC had submitted an eight-year-old list without verifying the current status of the industrial units. “By doing this, the department has not just misguided the apex court but also created panic among traders. The sealing drive is being carried out irrationally and mindlessly,” North corporation mayor Adesh Gupta said.

In August this year, the three civic agencies began sealing industries run from residential or non-conforming areas on the directions of a Supreme Courtmandated monitoring commit- tee. Till date, the three municipal corporations have sealed at least 1,500 such industries.

However, Anil Lakra, leader of opposition in the North civic body and AAP councillor, said the DSIIDC had shared a list of the industries that had applied for plots in Bawana and Narela industrial areas. “The department never said that all of them are illegally operating out of nonconforming areas. Also, verifying their current status was the responsibility of the municipal body. But despite getting the list in 2010, the civic agency did nothing in so many years,” he said.

Meanwhile, chairperson of DSIIDC, Satyendar Jain, did not respond to repeated calls and messages.

“The DSIIDC sent a list of 22,390 units, allegedly operating from non-conforming areas, to the three civic agencies. Of them, 12,305 fall under the jurisdiction of North corporation. Since the list was not verified, we had to visit every unit. This resulted in wastage of time and inconvenience to unit owners,” a North corporation official said, adding that during the survey, they found that 11, 604 of the units were either vacated or shut.