Sealing resumes after two-month gap, 61 units sealed

New Delhi, Mar 28 (UNI) The spectre of sealing today returned to haunt the traders of Delhi as the MCD squads put 61 units to seal in South and Civil Lines zone.

''Sealing was carried out in shops at three roads - Sheikh Sarai, Africa Avenue and Wazorabad roads - in Civil lines and South zone.

While seven units were sealed in Civil lines, 54 were sealed in South zone, an MCD spokesperson said.

Under the sealing scanner are shops in notified areas operating in violation of norms laid down by the 2021 Master Plan of Delhi.

The resumption of the sealing drive comes following orders of the Supreme Court, asking the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to seal shops on notified areas operating in violation of the mixed use norms laid down by the MPD 2021.

''Commercial units running illegally in mixed land-use roads are being sealed in the drive,'' MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said.

Directions on roads to be targeted were given by the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee this morning.

Mr Mathur said the MCD had asked the Delhi Police to provide additional force to provide security for its sealing squads, a request which was granted.

''The Delhi Police have agreed to provide adequate police personnel for the MCD sealing squads,'' Mr Mathur said.

With the MCD polls just over a week away, the court order to carry out sealing has set off a flurry of activity in political circles in Delhi.

Union Minister of state for Urban development Ajay Maken on Sunday sought to allay apprehensions among traders by assuring them that there would be no sealing on 99.5 per cent roads.

On the other hand, it has given a political plank to the opposition BJP.

Talking to reporters today, Delhi pradesh BJP president Harsh Vardhan said the sealing would affect over 50000 shops.

Holding the Congress responsible, he said,''we are concerned over the sealings in Delhi which would be affecting 50,000 shops. The Congress is responsible for it as it did not come out with an amnesty plan,'' Dr Harshvardhan said.

Talking about the latest sealing drive, President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Rambabu Sharma said it was simply a case of punishing those running their shops in vioation of the MPD 2021 norms, which prohibit any commercial activity on floors other than the ground floor. So, shops operating on first or second floor in notified areas are being sealed.'' He, however, denied that the ongoing sealing would have any impact on the outcome of MCD polls.

UNI