 "Connaught Place")
Popular domestic ice cream brand Natural Ice Cream and six other properties located in Delhi's Connaught Place were sealed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday over alleged tax dues.
Dr Jayna's Dental Clinic is also among the units to be sealed.
Notices were served to many establishments in the area. However, not all of them were sealed, the NDMC said. One such notice pasted outside a unit read, "In compliance... under the section 102 of the NDMC act 1994 the above cited property has been distained and sealed on February 19 2024 in the presence of the owner, occupier, representative of the subject premises."
While the traders alleged harassment by the officials over the issue, the NDMC stated that the sealed properties were reopened after an undertaking and token amount or cheques being cleared.
Upon swift action, the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) Atul Bhargava alleged that the officials were not following the due process. "Traders are getting tax notices ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 25 crore. Even the reassessment claims are not being considered. The premises were reopened immediately when the property owner paid the amount on the spot," he told Hindustan Times.
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'Given 15 minutes to vacate'
Meanwhile, the trade body's Secretary, Vikram Badhwar, alleged the traders were given 15 minutes to vacate the premises, following which they were sealed.
Bhargava claimed that units such as Khan Chacha and Embassy restaurant were also on the NDMC's target. However, they were relieved after the payment was made.
The NDTA also alleged that the administration's decision to charge the new property tax is "arbitrary."
Meanwhile, the NDMC has countered the claims and said that the process of recovery was initiated as per due process of law.
