Relief for traders as 2000 roads named commercial/mixed use

New Delhi, Sep 11 (UNI) In a step that could bring tremendous relief for common man and small traders from the 'Damocles Sword' of sealing, the MCD today designated nearly 2000 roads or streets in the capital as either commercial or mixed land use streets as per the September 7 notification of the Urban Development Ministry amending the 2001 Master Plan.

The list of roads, pertaining to the E, F and G colonies in Delhi for which a flexible mixed land policy had been prescribed by the amended Master Plan, includes 682 commercial streets i.e streets with more than 70 per cent commercialisation, 573 mixed use streets (those with more that 50 per cent commercialisation), 599 pedestrian shopping streets (streets of less than 6m ROW in E,F and G colonies) and 125 roads/streets already notified as mixed use streets and now identified as commercial streets.

The list was today passed by the Standing Committee of the MCD at a specially-convened meeting here. The list will now be sent to the Delhi Government for its approval thereafter it would be sent to the Lt Governor of Delhi for notification.

Standing Committee Chairman Jaikishen Sharma expressed the hope that the list would bring tremendous relief for the common man and small traders who have in the past few months been constantly living under the feat of sealing of their commercial establishments.

Mr Sharma said a survey was also being carried in the C and D colonies to designate commercial/mixed use streets in these areas.

Speaking at the meeting, MCD Commissioner A K Nigam said the present list of 2000 roads in E, F and G colonies was prepared on the basis of field surveys conducted by survey teams under the respective Deputy Commissioner of the Zones.

The notification of the list is in keeping with the present ground realities.

He said that with the Centre having delegated power to local bodies like the MCD to designate commercial areas in localities falling under their jurisdiction, any area with comemrcial activities more than certain percentage can now be designated commercial or mixed land use areas under the amended Master Plan.

He said that in case any area with more than 50 per cent commercialisation had been left out of the list cleared by the Standing Committee today, the deputy commissioners of the respective zones should be informed.

''We will try to ensure that these roads are notified along with the present list of 2000 roads,''Mr Nigam said.

He said notification of the list of commercial/mixed use roads in C and D colonies would be done after consultations with the RWAs as stipulated in the amended Master Plan.

In this context, he clarified that the provision in the amended Master Plan of obtaining an NOC from the RWAs for designating a road in C and D colonies as commercial or for mixed land use was just to facilitate consultation with them and did not amount to handing over indisriminate power to these bodies.

However, the commercial activities in A and B category, or posh, colonies has been banned and notification of certain streets in these areas as commercial or mixed use will be considered only on a specific request of the RWA.

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