Sealing resumes after two months,units violating MPD under scanner

New Delhi, Mar 28 (UNI) After a gap of nearly two months, the spectre of sealing returned to haunt the traders in Delhi with the squads of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi descending on many zones in Delhi.

Under the scanner of the sealing drive, which resumed following orders of the Supreme Court, are shops in notified areas operating in violation of norms laid down by the 2021 Master Plan of Delhi.

The Supreme Court had last week asked the MCD to resume sealing operations against all commercial units running in violation of Master Plan 2021.

Accordingly, over 5,0000 shops in roads notified for mixed use or commercial activities operating on first or second floors, in violation of the norms laid down by the MPD 2021, face sealing action.

According to the new plan, commercial establishments in mixed use roads can only run on the ground floor.

MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said sealing was carried out in shops operating on three roads- Africa Avenue, Sheikh Sarai and Wazirabad - located in two zones of the city.

''Falling under the sealing drive are shops operating on first, second or third floors in violations of the norms laid down by the MPD 2021,''Mathur said.

Directions on which the roads were to be sealed had been recieved from the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee this morning.

The MCD had asked the Delhi Police to provide additional force to provide security for its sealing squads, a request which was acceded to.

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.

DPCC president Rambabu Sharma today said it was simply a case of sealing of shops which are operating in violation of the 2021 Master Plan of Delhi.

''The issue is not likely to have a bearing on the outcome of the MCD polls,'' he claimed.

UNI