South Extension shop owners protest sealing drive

Shop owners at South Delhi's popular, South Extension market staged against the continued sealing of shops by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

Rohit, the owner of a shop at Defence Colony market area told ANI: "We are protesting against illegal sealing which is being done without any notice by NDMC officials. As per law, they should give us a 48-hour notice. There is no written order. We had demanded some changes in the floor area ratio (FAR) for commercial markets."

Meenakshi Lekhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson and the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the New Delhi constituency blamed the Congress over the confusion surrounding the sealing drive in different markets of the city.

" I was shocked to see four different maps of market areas, showing different layouts and conversion charges of commercial markets in Delhi. Shops should be fixed on the conversion charges, based on their size. But it is irregular according to the data of civic agencies," said Lekhi.

"The conversion charges and FARs were fixed during Congress rule in 2006. It has not changed since then. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was supposed to prepare a fresh survey on it. But they did not do it. They are asking for two years time. This is not going to work," Lekhi added.

The drive to seal commercial establishments flouting provisions of the 2021 Master Plan began on January 7 in Khan Market on the orders of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

According to the Master Plan, traders using property for mixed purposes have to pay a one-time conversion charge at the rate notified by the Delhi Government.

Many shops at other places have also been sealed.