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DDA silent on liquor shops

By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI OCT. 18. The Delhi Development Authority overlooked encroachment on land acquired by it at Badarpur in South Delhi even when the area MLA, Ram Singh, issued the no-objection certificate for opening six liquor shops thereon.

The issue, which has since been taken up by the Congress legislator's political rivals, came to light when a resident of Molarbund Vistar in Badarpur wrote seeking intervention of the Commissioner of Delhi Police enquiring about the encroachment on DDA and other government land in the Assembly constituency.

The documented complaint states that upon becoming an MLA, Ram Singh got 11 liquor shops opened in Badarpur of which six came up on Government land. These properties are located at C-150/A Main Mathura Road; K No. 94 Ramjilal Market, Madanpur Khadar; 8 Road No. 13-A, Sarita Vihar; 4 Road No 4, Jasola, KH No. 273 Madanpur Khadar Extension and C-54-56 Jasola village.

In response to a query by MLA, Ashok Singh, through a starred question, the Delhi Government had itself submitted a list of liquor shops, that opened in Delhi following December 1998, which stated that Mr Ram Singh had issued the NOCs for the six shops which came up on Government land. Of these three each were opened by the Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation and the Delhi Consumer Cooperative Wholesale Store.

All these shops came up on land which was acquired for the "planned development'' of the area on a "permanent'' basis in mid-80s and due compensation for the same was also paid by the Land Acquisition Department. It is pertinent to note here that as per the rules in Delhi, an area MLA issues the NOC for opening of liquor vends in his constituency. And while the shops are owned by Government agencies, big money is involved in the dealings as the liquor manufacturers and private liquor contractors of adjoining states also use these shops for selling their own liquor on the sly. Furthermore, a fixed percentage of the profits accruing from the legal business go to the owner of the shop which makes the business extremely lucrative.

But while its land has been encroached upon for not only opening of the liquor vends but also for construction of a palatial bungalow and shops on a 5 bigha plot near the Badarpur village gate, the DDA has been sitting silent on the issue. This when the estimated cost of the property is over Rs 5 crores.

However, the civic agency can take solace in the fact that in the case of Badarpur other government agencies have also turned a deaf ear to encroachments. While the Public Works Department has been doing nothing about securing the possession of a 2 acre plot near the Onida factory on Mathura Road on which a restaurant, godown and political office have come up, the Delhi Government has also turned its back on the blatant encroachment by some shops in the community centre. Similarly, the Delhi Jal Board premises adjoining the Badarpur police station is being brazenly used for running illegal STD booths and public call offices.

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