SC body refuses to hand out notices before sealing shops

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Courtappointed committee, monitoring the sealing of illegal commercial establishments in Delhi, said on Wednesday that no notices would be served to the traders before a sealing drive.

During a joint meeting with the commissioners of the three municipal corporations, vicechairman of New Delhi Municipal Council and senior officials from the Delhi Development Authority, the monitoring committee also discussed the future course of action and violations in different markets.

“We have ordered sealing action in all zones of municipal corporations from tomorrow without prior intimation. The action will be taken for misusing residential properties for commercial use, non-payment of ‘use conversion charge’ and unauthorised construction,” said a member of the monitoring committee, who did not want to be named.

Last week, the standing committee of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had passed a resolution to give 48 hours notice to traders before a sealing drive in an area. The decision was taken in reference to the Delhi Municipal Act, 1957, and an order issued by the monitoring committee in 2008 which had a provision for serving such notices before sealing action, said Tilak Raj Kataria, standing committee chairman, north corporation.

“On Wednesday, our commis- sioner Madhup Vyas, shared the copy of resolution with the monitoring committee members but they refused to accept the demand,” said Kataria. A monitoring committee member, however, said that no such orders were issued by them in the past.

A south corporation official said that they even requested for carrying the sealing drive after June 30, when the deadline for the conversion scheme (paying use conversion charge at the reduced rate of ₹22,274) notified by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on December 30, will get over. “But this request was rejected as well,” said the official.

As per sources, the committee is likely to prepare list of defaulting officials who allowed unauthorised construction in the past.